Glamorously dressed
by moonfiretiarasoulaction
Summary: When Akko and her friends meet the veterans of the war against the life fibers a new threat develops in an unexpected way. This crossover started with the humble aim to see the characters from these two franchises interact, but a year later I developed a long-term storyline in which ambitions and ideals clash to pave a new path for humanity. Go ahead! Future! (Will update monthly)
1. Chapter 1

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

"Aah!" Ryuko exclaimed as she walked to the local grocery store in a simple jeans and a red T-shirt. "Why couldn't Satsuki ask Soroi to get the sugar for her tea? I was just watching my favorite anime."

Suddenly a heavy object hit her in the back, sending her hurling forward until she came to rest inside a large dark-green upturned waste container on the side of a small parking lot between two shops.

"Agh! What's with this dirt?! I smell like I'm in Honouji's slums all over again!" The young woman exclaimed in disdain.

"Oooow! That landing was not good at all. Diana was right after all. I need more practice."

"Hey, you weirdo! What's the big deal kicking people in the back?!"

"Ah. I'm sorry." Akko said while getting back on her feet. "I didn't kick you in the back though. I just had trouble making my landing."

"What are you talking about?! And what's with that ridiculous broom? Are you the janitor here or something?!" Ryuko laughed.

The next second Akko got nose to nose with her.

"This is my witches broom! I learned to fly it in Luna Nova Academia. the most prestigious magic school in the world! And I won't stand for it being ridiculed!" The girl in the sleeveless suspender jeans-dress and loose cream-colored shirt snapped.

Ryuko raised an eyebrow.

"Magic?"

"Yes. Magic," The brunette answered with a proud, glowing smile. "I am Atsuko Kagari. A second-year student in Luna Nova Academia for witchcraft."

"I see," Ryuko scratched her hair. Her lips trembled. Gradually it seemed more and more as if she had just eaten something incredibly sour, until finally:  
"Hahahaha! You are even more incomprehensible than you look! Magic! I've never heard of something so ridiculous!"

Akko ground her teeth in anger at the sight of the girl with the red streak in her hair holding her own belly and pointing at her.  
But she didn't take this insolence quietly for long.

"Metamorphie Faciesse!"

"Hahaha! To think someone would still believe in magic in this day and age!  
Euh!" Ryuko touched the large appendages she suddenly felt hanging from the sides of her head. "Are these... rabbit ears?"  
"What the hell is this?!" Ryuko pulled at the ears. "They won't come off!" She screamed. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"It's magic," Akko grinned. "Don't you like it?"

Ryuko collared the smug-looking brunette and shook her good.  
"Change them back, you dumb witch!"

"You'll believe in magic now won't you!" The younger girl yelled in the face of her assailant.

"I don't believe you Akko! First I have to look all over for you after you suddenly took of like that, and now I find you are already in a fight with what I can only hope is a relative of yours and not a total stranger!" A beautiful platinum-blonde young witch riding her broom in a purple cardigan over a short-skirted orange summer dress lamented.

"She started it!"

Both girls were now collaring each other with fists raised, ready to start fighting in earnest.

"That might be true," Suci deadpanned, leaning on her broom. "But she's the one wearing rabbit ears. I bet you already proudly presented yourself as a student of Luna Nova Academia. I don't think I have to tell you what would happen if she complained to the Principal?"

"Listen to me you bunch of weirdo's! If someone doesn't change my ears back to normal this instant you're all going to be in a world of pain!" Ryuko roared.

"For future reference, it might do you good to remember that threats of violence are frowned upon in civilized society. But I humbly apologize for the inconvenience my friend caused you." Diana commented on her way down. "Metamorphie Faciesse!"

Ryuko glared at her ears in the mirror Lotte held up to her as they turned back to normal. Checking manually to make sure she wasn't being tricked.

"Now apologize, Akko!"

"What?! But she..."

"Apologize!" Diana glared as she sternly crossed her arms.

"Ugh!" Akko grumbled. "I humbly apologize for having inconvenienced you."

"What's that? I didn't hear you."

The brunette threw a dirty look at the smugly smiling Ryuko.

"I said: I humbly apologize for having inconvenienced you," She hissed.

"Hahaha. I see your friend there has got you whipped. Hasn't she? Poor you!" The blackette laughed.

"Matoi!"

Ryuko swallowed and stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice shouting her name.  
She saw her sister's bodyguard walk up to her over the pedestrian crossing and walk past a parked orange scooter next to a ramen shop in his spotless white tuxedo.

"Lady Satsuki sent me to check on your progress with the sugar!" Ira Gamagoori looked down at her. "What is the meaning of you lounging about with these girls?!"

"Unlike you, I'm not a ShelteR employee, Gamagoori!" Ryuko swayed sassily while she stretched her hands behind her head. "And I have a day off, so I can do what I want! If Satsuki wanted sugar in her tea she should have made sure Soroi bought enough when he did the grocery shopping in the first place!"

"How insensitive of you Ryuko Matoi. Satsuki still secretly adds sugar in her tea because she thinks Soroi makes it too bitter. I expect you would have your sister break poor Soroi's heart by admitting to this?!" The giant man scolded while folding his shades and sliding them inside the left breast pocket of his light-blue shirt.

"I would, yes! It would be a damn bit more honest and I wouldn't have gotten into this mess!"

"You wouldn't have gotten into this mess if you had brought her the sugar immediatly as you were asked instead of idling about!"

"I think we might as well go to your parents' house," Suci suggested to a nodding Akko.

"I wasn't idling about, you idiot! I was being attacked by a bunch of crazy witches!" Ryuko exitedly argued with the enormous blonde man.

"That is the saddest excuse I have ever heard! You do not seem to have a care in the world about Lady Satsuki having to go without sugar in her tea!  
So if you deny having been idling about, I would like to know where Lady Satsuki's sugar may be?!" The large brute shouted in the face of the uncaring Ryuko.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeerrre!"

Catching his prize by the collar of her white T-shirt between pointer finger and thumb, Ira Gamagoori looked a small sligthly chubby brunette sternly in the eyes as she bounced to and fro.

"Mako! How many times do I have to tell you to stop introducing yourself like that! You endanger yourself and you endanger the people you jump into!  
I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you act recklessly!" He reprimanded while he gently lowered the girl in the beige short pants and black stockings onto the asphalted floor.

"Can someone tell me who is singing that hymn?" A suddenly surprised Diana look around with a questioning look.

"Ira Gamagoori! You are always far too strikt with Mako's best friend!" The leisurely dressed chubby brunette next to the big man pranced around.  
"You should know by now that Ryuko doesn't idle about. Ryuko is a heroine! She is always resolved to bring any task to a good end. But you should also be aware by now that whenever Ryuko doesn't go looking for trouble, trouble will find Ryuko! That is when Ryuko needs her friends. And just like we can always count on Ryuko when we are in trouble, Ryuko can always count on Mako when she is in trouble!" Mako concluded, posing with a firm expression as a large bag of sugar landed in her outstretched arms.

Sucy, standing next to Akko and Ryuko in a frilled lavender dress and her broom leaning against her left shoulder, looked genuinely impressed, giving the performance a slow clap, while Akko just stood frozen and slack-jawed in her short suspender jeans dress.

"Thanks, Mako," Ryuko winked. "Now I can finally go back to idling about."

"And we can go and meet your parents Akko," Diana added, standing next to Lotte.

"Yes, Mako. Thank you. I know I can always count on you at least," Ira flirtingly smiled at his girlfriend.

"Geez. Are you going to kiss in public, Mr former Disciplinary committee chair?" Ryuko teased and girlishly danced around while she pulled on the collar of her red T-shirt.

"Why don't you mind your own business! Matoi!" The large man shouted in her face.

Diana and her companions were about to continue their journey, but Ira had other plans.  
"Excuse me, Miss," The towering giant bowed before the platinum-blonde young witch who had managed to pique his interest as soon as she spoke. "Might you be the renowned witch Diana Cavendish of the celebrated Cavendish family?"

"Yes, I am," Diana confirmed in a surprised, but not impolite tone. "May I ask who you are?"

"I am Ira Gamagoori. Personal bodyguard of the CEO of ShelteR Inc. and former disciplinary committee chair of Honnoji academy student council. I am honored to meet you, Lady Cavendish."  
Mako was quietly fondling her boyfriend's thumb between her fingers while he addressed the girl in the orange summer dress.

"Even in Japan she has fanboys," Sucy whispered to Lotte who was standing next to Diana in a light-blue sleeveless blouse and polka-dotted yellow skirt.

"The honor of the aquantaince is mine Mr. Gamagoori. I am surprised to be recognized here in Japan," Diana humbly stated.

"Not at all miss Cavendish. My grandmother was a witch you see. And I always had an eye for good breeding."  
He gave Ryuko a side long leer and teasingly added: "I knew from the start Matoi was of bad stock."

"Aren't you conveniently forgetting Satsuki and I are sisters?" Ryuko sighed.

"Nevertheless Lady Diana. I must insist you join my Lady Satsuki for tea. It's not every day she has the chance to meet with such distinguished company," The white-clad bodyguard pleaded, conveniently ignoring his friend's remark.

While Ira sang the praises of the Cavendish family, hoping to secure the visit to Satsuki, Sucy nimbly plucked something from Ryuko's neck.

"What have you got there Sucy?" Akko asked the lecherously looking Filipino.

"Ophiocodyceps Matsutake! One of my holiest of grales! I can't believe this pointless trip turned out so lucky for me!"

"What do you mean, pointless?!" The jeans-clad brunette bristled.

"Oh! I meant, this interesting trip," Sucy absently sussed.

"Oh. Is it rare?" Akko innocently inquired.

"It's not so much that it's one of the rarest poisonous mushrooms with the most vivid colors, but the things I'll be able to do with it defy your wildest dreams." Sucy grinned while she locked her treasure safely away in a small basket.

"Okay."

"Miss Kagari?" Ira suddenly called.

"Huh?"

"I understand you are here to visit your family. I would like to borrow your time and invite you and your friends to spend the day with my dear Lady Satsuki," The blonde man politely queried.

"I apologize Akko. He just wants to introduce me to his employer. I told him he had to ask you, since I came here on your invitation," Diana gently stated, slightly embarrassed to be derailing their journey.

"Well we can go for tea, I guess," Akko muttered. She really liked how Diana looked in that short orange dress. There wasn't much occasion to see the elegant platinum-blonde young woman in this kind of everyday clothing. Akko couldn't help smiling every time her eyes landed on her friend. "My parents aren't really expecting us untill this evening anyway

"Thank you very much Miss Kagari," Gamagoori boisterously shook her hand as well as the girl attached to it.

"I guess we'll go visit the Empress of Japan then," Sucy grinned.

"Are any of you afraid of heights? Because we could take you all on our brooms," Diana asked their three new acquaintances.

"Why thank you, Miss Cavendish. It would be an honour," Ira bowed in his white tuxedo.

Mako quickly hopped onto the broom of a suspiciously frowning Sucy, while Ira Gamagoori carefully balanced himself on Diana and Lotte's brooms.

"What are you all looking at me for?" Ryuko sullenly raised an eyebrow. "I'm not letting her fly me home."

"Well then you can go on foot," Akko grinned, tapping her foot in annoyance as she held her broom in one hand.

"Hurry up Matoi! You have kept Lady Satsuki waiting long enough as it is," Ira grumbled.

"She a danger in the sky. I'll go on foot like she suggested."

"Come on Ryuko! It'll be fun! When will you get another chance to fly on a broom?" Mako excitedly called out.

"I've already flown on fiber-power. I think I'll pass on this," The girl with the red streak in her hair waved as she set off towards the house she shared with her sister and the Mankanshoku family.

"Get on that broom Matoi!"

"It's not like you'll get hurt if Miss Kagari does cause a crash," Mako pluckily pleaded.

"Yes," Gamagoori grinned. "Rather, you would be like a life jacket to her."

"I told you to stop making jokes like that!" Ryuko shouted.

"Why is everyone assuming I'll cause us to crash?" Akko steamed.

"Please humor us Miss Matoi! Akko has really become adept at flying the broom. She only crashed now because she was nervous about bringing us to meet her parents," Diana kindly pleaded.

"Come on! Join us Ryuko! It'll be fun!"

Sucy glared at the girl behind her hopping up and down on her broom.  
"If you keep doing that when we're flying I'll shake you off without regret," She threatened.

"Alright! Alright! I'll get on her broom," Ryuko finally gave in and turned on her heel with a sigh.

"Don't make it sound like you're doing me any favors!" Her jeans-clad driver grumbled.

"You will say please, Matoi! Miss Kagari and her friends are doing us a favor!" Ira scolded.

"Really, Ira?! She's doing US a favor?!" Ryuko protested before eyeing the smugly grinning Akko.

"Please Ryuko!" Mako bounced so high she could have launched into Gamagoori's nostrils.

"Ugh. Alright then. Can you please fly me home Miss Kagari?"

"Of course I can. I am an excellent driver."

"She drives slow on the lee-lines," Sucy grinned.

Ryuko moodily took her seat behind Akko and put her arm around her perky driver as they all flew up and away.

* * *

"... Then, after my mother died our house went through a period of decline. We are still experiencing financially difficult times now. But with the return of magic to the world gradually people are looking to my family's experience and wisdom again. We are always glad to help someone seeking our advice. But out of gratitude, we have been receiving donations for the services we have been providing. It is not much, but it helps in our efforts towards preserving the manor and grounds."

"Managing a family's fortune is a great responsibility," The tall woman with the large eyebrows who was introduced to them as Lady Satsuki Kiryuin agreed with Diana. "After the death of our mother it took me much effort to reorganize our family's assets and guide the reform of the Revocs Corporation into ShelteR Inc. We have had to shed..."

"Akko. Don't doze off," Lotte, sitting to the left of the brunette in a light-blue sleeveless blouse and her polka-dotted yellow skirt, gently reprimanded.

"Urg... They've been at it for ages," Her Japanese friend moaned. "Did Diana really have to recount the detailed history of every one of her ancestors?"

The platinum blonde, shifting her legs in her short-skirted orange dress, overheard the whispered complaint and showed her displeasure over it to her friend by means of a quiet huff and a toss of her hair.

An act that conjured a slight smile to Akko's lips.

But she quickly continued with: "I knew this was going to be boring."

The brunette ate another cookie and looked around the tastefully decorated western style room they sat in while Diana was discussing the hardships of leading a family with their illustrious host.

Lady Satsuki was seated in a high seated Bergere upholstered with light green corduroy matching the color of the walls. Triple-transomed casement windows on either of the tall young woman bathed the room in light, although it somehow seemed like the light was actually emanating from Lady Satsuki herself.

The wall to the right of them was decorated by a large gilded mirror over a light oaken cabinet.

Behind the light green sofa, she, Diana, and Lotte were seated in, was the chevron-patterned white oak door that led to the hallway on the second floor.

To the left of them was the door, of the same make as the other one, through which the butler regularly passed to replenish their tea which was placed on a large round light oaken coffee table over a round green carpet decorated with forest motives.

Akko was very grateful to the butler whose tea and cookies had been the only thing keeping her awake through the Renaissance.

And on either side of them was a light green two-seating sofa.

One of them occupied by the giant man Diana had taken as a passenger and the other by a small young woman with pink hair wearing pink T-strap pumps under a short salmon summer dress with matching skull-faced top hat who gave Akko a suspicious look every time their eyes met.

The arrogant girl with the red streak in her hair had left them while they were brought up into the room by the giant.

"Where has Sucy been all this time?" The brunette whispered to the bespectacled girl on her left.

"Huh?" Lotte shook as she was startled from her slumber by the sudden question.

"I said: Where has Sucy been all this time?" Akko repeated.

"Isn't she back yet?" Her Finnish friend returned. "She said she was going to look for the lavatory when we came up the stairs."

"Great." Akko quietly fumed. "In other words: She escaped."

* * *

Sucy walked up to the door near the entrance on the first floor. She couldn't wait any longer to enjoy her new treasure.

Anticipating the experiments she was going to submit Akko to with what she could create from her Ophiocodyceps Nothadelphia she grinned to herself as she opened the western style dark oaken door.

This was not the lavatory.

The right and left walls of the room were lined with bookshelves and glass cabinets filled with stethoscopes, skulls, and whatnot. The window in the far wall looked out over the street outside.

In the corner to her right was a small yellow and blue striped table with a children's drawing book and pencils, a clunky robot, a cloth doll, a plastic doll with a beautiful white robe and a little black and white police car.

In front of her, with his back to the right wall was a large man in his forties sitting at a desk with a laptop, a printer, and some kind of food through filled with a substance that defied description staring at her with open mouth and a napkin over his blue short sleeved shirt.

"My apologies," The Filipino politely started.

"Nonononono!" The man interrupted while he hurriedly wiped his face, and shoved his napkin and lunch into a drawer, revealing a black-and-white checkered neck-tie. "I must have lost track of time. My apologies," He instantly came over to the door and bowed.

"Miss Tsukino? You had an appointment at 13:00? Urgent treatment for your cats? You said they both have multiple fractures."

"I'm sorry," Sucy frowned. "I didn't expect a veterinarian's office in here."

"Oh no! I really am a people doctor!" The man assured her.

"A people doctor?"

Barazo laughed exaggeratedly as the girl in the long fringed lavender dress deliberately raised her eyebrow at him, fearful sweat dripping from his chin.

"What I said about the cats was just a joke. I don't really operate on animals in here."

Sucy walked into the room, went to one of the bookcases and pulled out a row of false spines.  
"Do you even have a medical degree?" She quipped.

Suddenly the highly agitated man closed the door while standing beside it. Sweat was pouring from his face.  
"I'll pay you!" He exclaimed. "Please don't tell anyone what you heard me say! I'll..."

The door was flung open and slammed his body into the wall.

"I brought you some more mystery croquettes before the children ate everything, dear!" A light brown-haired woman in a short-skirted orange dress and a champagne pink apron hurriedly called while bringing in a bucket with the steaming fried rolls.

"Dear...?" She inquisitively called as she stopped in her tracks and looked around.

"He went out to get some X-rays made for a cat. I'll let him know you brought his food," Sucy dryly stated.

"Oh? Thank you very much," Sukuyo smiled and bowed.  
Leaving in a more orderly way than she came she quietly closed the door behind her.  
Her husband's eyes turned around in his sockets for about half a minute before he regained... his former state of mind.

"You were going to bribe my silence," Sucy reminded him as soon as he did.

Barazo nervously watched the grinning girl.

"I might keep my lips shut cheaply. If you can provide me with all of the products and tools I need," The witch offered.

"You'll never tell a soul about the cats?!"

"What cats?" The Filipino played dumb and shrugged.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved my family! You saved our future," Barazo gushed, holding Sucy's left hand in both of his own and kneeling before her.

"Alright, alright," Sucy sighed as she slapped his hands away. "But first things first."

"Your wish is my command, graceful young lady," The head of the Mankanshoku household gratefully saluted.

"Put on some pants."

* * *

They were both sitting barefoot on Diana's bed in their navy blue vest and skirt over a white shirt. The green leather-bound spellbook in between them. Light poured in through the chamber height double transomed cross window with the false bow.

Diana watched Akko concentrate hard while reading. Smiling excitedly. Hoping for success.

Then with a loud clap, the brunette closed the book.  
"I'm ready," She stated, with a determined look in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Her friend asked while her right hand nevertheless already lay on the extensive volume.

Akko nodded and saw the trust and shared desire in Diana's beautiful and gentle blue eyes.

"You've drilled the pronunciation into me for hours. I've studied for days. I know I can do it now."

"Alright then, "The platinum-blonde turned equally serious while she took the spellbook with both hands. "Let's hear it."

Akko closed her eyes and visualized the words, fitting them one after the other in a long train in her mind.  
Then she hemmed shortly and opened her lips.

"Germinaben ueris tulipa hyacynthus rhododendron paeonia narcissus freesia viola primula hyacinthoides syringa iris allium galanthus nivalis anemone crocus sativus slonhon deance pululae incrementa jubilae!"

With a swooping motion of her hand, the young witch recreated her friend's apartment into a veritable spring garden.

"You did it, Akko!" Diana jumped up and embraced her. "You mastered the longest spell in the book!"

The brunette remained uncharacteristically demure under this unexpected show of affection. The scent of the platinum-blonde overpowered all of the fragrant plants she had conjured all around them not a minute ago.

"You did great, Akko! You made so much progress, Akko! I look forward to working together this year," Diana smiled affectionately as she let go. Her blue eyes shone like jewels. "We are going to learn so much together, Akko."

* * *

"Miss Kagari!"

"I wasn't sleeping! Honestly, miss Finnelan!"

The harsh voice shook Akko awake from the slightly embellished recollection and as her eyes gradually acclimatized to the bright light feeding them she realized she was looking into the grim and liberally roofed eyes of an if possible even more intimidating person than Anne Finnelan.

"Akko."

The brunette turned her face to the left and saw Diana looking expectantly and Lotte helpfully smiling.

"Diana just proposed for you to tell Miss Kiryuin how you opened the Grand Triskellion," The bespectacled girl informed her friend.

"Oh. I'm very sorry," Akko started with a slight bow to her host.

"Please don't apologize for nodding off during my exposition," Satsuki interrupted with an amused grin. Akko looked up at the tall woman in the lavender business suit and white shirt with a blank expression.

"Reorganizing my family's business was as tedious to me as it obviously sounded to you and I am relieved it is behind me now. But I heard you accomplished quite an amazing thing, Miss Kagari. And I would like to hear about it."

"Well..." Akko hesitatingly began while thinking about what to say. "Everything started with Shiny Chariot of course!" She suddenly boisterously exclaimed.

"Shiny Chariot?" Satsuki frowned.

"She was a witch who became famous at one time for the shows she put on," Ira Gamagoori interrupted. "But she wasn't very well respected among the witch community if I remember correctly."

Satsuki regarded her loyal bodyguard with a queer smile, leaning her chin on her fist.  
"To think you would keep this part of yourself a secret to me for so long..." She teased.

The gigantic man grimaced at this feigned accusation and squirmed in his white tuxedo over a light-blue shirt.  
He was about to speak but an enlivened Akko jumped out of her seat and came to his rescue.

"It's true that Chariot made mistakes but she owned up to those mistakes and attempted to make amends! Besides... Shiny Chariot was the inspiration of an entire generation of witches! Without her, I would never have become a witch! And there are hundreds just like me! Right, Diana?"

"I won't say I wouldn't have become a witch without Chariot, and I doubt that is the case for most of our generation. But I certainly was inspired by her. Actually, you have been a greater inspiration to girls who didn't come from a family of witches," The platinum-blonde soberly replied before sipping her tea and looking up at the girl standing up to her right.

As her eyes landed on Akko she was surprised to see her roommate holding out a hand to her.  
"Akko..." She muttered, not comprehending.

"Let's do it!" The brunette smiled with irresistible sparkling crimson eyes.

Realization dawned on Diana.

"In public?!" She exclaimed. "I really don't..."

By the time she started to speak Akko had already pulled her up and they stood hand in hand, Diana with a purple cardigan over her orange summer dress and Akko in a short leisurely sleeveless suspender jeans-dress over a loose cream-colored shirt, before a curiously looking Satsuki who was leaning back in her light green Bergere.

"Obscurem!" Akko commanded, and with a wave of her right arm, to Ira's alarm, the room went pitch dark in spite of the sunshine pouring in through the windows behind Satsuki.

The brunette turned her face towards Diana again and winked, conjuring a carefree smile on the face of the other girl and melting away any resistance to her plan.

"Stellar Illuminare!"

The platinum-blonde waved her free left hand behind her and several small stars appeared high in the back of the room which merged and transformed into a Phoenix made of light

"Welcome to the land of magic!" Akko announced as the bird came swooping towards the unperturbedly observing lavender-clad Satsuki sitting regally in her light-green armchair.

"Reach out and it will begin! Your very own story!" The young witch continued.

Before the bird reached his mistress Ira stood up in front of her and thoroughly barred its way.

"Don't worry, Ira," He heard behind him. "These girls mean us no harm."

He obeyed and reluctantly seated himself again, watching the Phoenix perch on Satsuki's outstretched hand before exploding in nine koi that jumped downward in every direction, merged underneath the blackette's hand and shot up to the ceiling to explode into a beautiful fireworks display.

"Never forget," Diana and Akko cheerfully spoke together while holding their free hands aloft. "A believing heart is your magic!"

The girls smiled at each other as their hands parted under the applause of their hosts.

"That was certainly a very impressive spectacle," Satsuki complimented.

"But it didn't seem much different from a common light show."

Akko threw an angry look at the pink-haired girl in the salmon colored dress who spoke for the first time while Satsuki grinned, amused that her friend couldn't help criticizing on her behalf.

"Don't look at me like that, loudmouth," Nonon casually objected as she crossed her arms. "If that is the kind of magic that inspired you to become a witch you seem to be easily impressed."

"It is a sadly jaded mind that finds itself unable to be diverted by a humble show," Diana stated agitatedly but outwardly composed.

"I agree," Their host spoke. "You are too harsh, Nonon."

"I simply state what I observe," The latter replied with a stubborn smirk.

"Since magic was restored to the world we have been strictly forbidden from using magic above a certain level of difficulty outside the school, and we are limited in space here, so we cannot faithfully recreate the shows Chariot performed in public," Diana excused as she and Akko sat down again.

"This was just a small example of the wonderful shows Shiny Chariot performed that drew thousands to watch her!" Akko enthusiastically assured the tall blackette sitting in front of her. "But Chariot's shows were much more elaborate and awe-inspiring..."

Diana and Lotte smiled indulgently as their friend was fired up into talking about her favorite subject.

"... Sadly she lost two important things to her during her last shows," Akko continued crestfallen. "Shiny Chariot had been chosen by the Shiny Rod to break the seal the nine old witches had placed over the Grand Triskellion in the seventh century. But her friend, Croix Meridies had wanted to be chosen for that, honor.

Chariot came close to fulfilling her destiny, but in the end, she faltered and on being sought out by an organizer of large events agreed to make a living doing the shows I loved. During this time, her friend became increasingly frustrated in her and developed dangerous magic which she tricked Chariot into using to steal the magic potential of her audiences.

Upon learning this, Chariot and Croix fell out and the Shiny Rod disappeared from her.  
Ashamed of what she had done, Chariot changed her name and became a teacher at Luna Nova."

Soroi, who had been standing by in his black tuxedo at the door to the kitchen behind Ira Gamagoori noticed the teacups were starting to get empty and came closer to give everyone a refill while the company was enthralled with Akko's narrative.

"When I came to Luna Nova to study where Chariot had studied witchcraft Lotte was so very kind to let me ride on her broom.  
In those days, you see, I couldn't do any magic because my magic potential had been stolen during one of Chariot's shows. Thank you, Lotte."  
Akko gratefully showed her friend a big smile which the bespectacled girl happily returned.

"And because you were never taught any magic in the first place," Diana corrected the brunette. "You are still catching up to the rest of us because you only just started to regain your full potential and only now are you enabled to properly learn how to use magic."

"But I'm making great strides, thanks to your tutoring. Thank you for all of your help, Diana!" Akko leaned over Lotte and grabbed the flustered platinum-blonde's hands as she shot her a winning smile.

"You don't have to thank me," Diana replied while averting her face. "Obviously I will give you all the help I can as long as you work as devotedly as you have been."

"A... Akko! This is kind of uncomfortable," Lotte protested while leaning back in her seat and holding up her arms.

"Oh. Sorry, Lotte," The brunette grinned as she sat up again.

"So you see..." Akko continued as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Lotte was kind enough to let me ride along on her broom because riding a broom on the leylines is the only way to get to Luna Nova. But due to my pickled plums, we crashed into Arcturus Forest. And that's where I found the Shiny Rod. I had to unlock seven words and we had various adventures along the way. During those adventures, Professor Croix came to Luna Nova to teach modern magic and while we were all amazed by her magitronic units..."

"Some of us were all too easily impressed," Diana dryly remarked.

"... she worked on a plan to create a copy of the Shiny Rod to break the seal over the Grand Triskellion.  
Professor Croix had developed a sort of magic called Noir Fuel Spirit..." Akko gesticulated while Soroi tried to evade her wild gestures in order to refill her teacup.

"... which she used to try and escalate a row over a football match into a full-scale war by stimulating people's negative feelings and harvesting them in order to power her Noir Rod.

She then used the Noir Rod to travel to Arcturus Forest and drill through the seal, reaching the goal of her ambition: the Grand Triskellion.

But at that point, her Noir Rod overloaded on noir fuel spirit derived from the hatred the people of the near-warring nations were feeling and became a sentient monster.

Professor Croix turned penitent and together with my friends and the Shiny Rod I was able to subdue the monster, which then took possession of an armed missile and set course towards one of the two nations in order to start the war that would make it even more powerful.

Luckily, Lotte suggested that we might fuse the Shiny Rod with the Grand Triskellion and when I did, true enough, its true power was unleashed!" Akko exclaimed, sat forward in her seat, her fiery eyes on Satsuki.

"Chariot and Professor Croix helped us on our way and, together, my friends and I chased the Noir Missile, cheered on by millions of people who saw everything on their smartphones through the power of the Grand Triskellion.

In the end, Diana and I were able to use the Grand Triskellion/Claiomh Solais to overload the Noir Missile with the power of everybody's hopes and in the process the positive emotions we inspired in the people who had been watching us enabled the Grand Triskellion to create a new Yggdrasil and bring magic back to the entire world!"

Having brought her narrative to an end Akko caught her breath, sitting in her short summery jeans dress on the edge of her seat.

"I'm sorry to say so, Akko," Lotte giggled. "But you are a terrible story-teller."

"What?! Really?" The brunette inquired in a disappointed tone.

"Your story was a bit of a jumbled mess. But you made it very entertaining," The blonde in the light blue blouse and the yellow dotted skirt indulgently mitigated her earlier statement.

"Don't worry," Diana smiled. "I'm sure Lady Satsuki and her friends were able to understand what happened."

"Lotte! Diana!" Their boisterous friend exclaimed to their embarrassment while preparing to embrace both.

"Indeed, I do understand. Thank you, Soroi," Satsuki called the attention of the three friends towards herself with an ominous voice as her butler refilled her cup last before returning to the kitchen.  
"I remember the situation you just described to me, but it is only now that I am made aware of the context. And that context fills me with great dread.  
The great magic that has now been unleashed on the world could bring forth a variety of problems."

"I can assure you we have institutions that have been hard at work to regulate the use of magic outside our schools and anticipate abuse of it," Diana stated as she pulled on the sleeve of her purple cardigan.

"Miss Cavendish did mention before how witches are strictly prohibited from using magic outside the school, Lady Satsuki," Ira sussed.

"That is true," His mistress frowned. Her eyes fixing the three young witches in front of her. "But I might not be concerned about what witches could do with these powers. Although any law, no matter how sound or how strictly upheld can never guarantee the prevention of all crime."

"We were lucky they did not unleash this magic on the world earlier," Nonon commented with a dark look.

"You don't know that Jakuzure!" Her giant friend scolded. "Imagine how magic could have benefitted our struggle!"

"You are starting to sound as naive as the loudmouth, toad! If you think the other party would not have found a way to use the power of witches to their benefit you are dead wrong," The pinkette fired back.

"Who are you picking a fight with?!" An annoyed Akko fumed.

"Can you please explain yourself?" Diana asked the young woman in the salmon-colored dress with a stern look. "If there is a party that has the ability to abuse magic I think the proper authorities should be alerted of this danger."

The three veterans shared a look and Satsuki hemmed before she addressed the young lady sitting before her in the orange dress and purple cardigan.

"There exists in our galaxy a form of life known to those who have fought them as life fibers.

These lifeforms have one goal: to procreate themselves by feeding on the biological energy of the beings they find on the planets they land on.  
They are a parasitic lifeform that has the ability to turn its hosts into lifeless zombies.

When it succeeds in bonding to all members of the dominant lifeform on a planet they initiate a process that transforms the planet into a giant cocoon and create new seeds. After which they bring the planet to explode, warping the seeds into space where they can repeat the process on other planets."

Diana, Lotte, and Akko watched the lavender-clad woman in front of them in horror.

"This invasion already happened," Satsuku continued grimly. 'Every piece of clothing we wear is a testament to that.

When a life fiber seed landed on earth millions of years ago it selected humanity from the many lifeforms present to reproduce itself. It manipulated our ancestors into reproducing, spreading themselves across the world, and grow accustomed to clothe themselves.  
When this objective was reached it went into a dormant state until it was discovered by my mother."

"Lady Satsuki! You don't need to...!"

It's alright, Nonon." Satsuki held up a hand to her agitated friend. "Our new friends have shared everything about their struggle with us freely. We shouldn't hold anything back either."

"So your mother awakened this danger to our world?" Diana asked, thoroughly horrified by what she was hearing.

"I cannot know in how far my mother was an innocent victim, manipulated by the seed," Satsuki sighed. "I have had to make my peace with the possibility that at least a part of my mother consciously took part in the horrible deeds she committed.

But what is certain is that the seed, once re-awakened, infused my mother's body with life fibers and altered her into a being with super-human strength before it initiated the final phase in its procreation and used the financial power our family possessed to create a monopoly in the clothing industry.

Our company, the Revocs Corporation, used mankind's instinct to clothe itself, instilled into us by the life fibers, in order to create clothing infused with life fibers grown from the seed and distribute them among all of mankind."

Akko anxiously regarded her jeans dress.

"Don't worry, Loudmouth. The life fibers on earth are all dead," Nonon assured the witch.

"Indeed," Satsuki confirmed with a solemn look. "This is how my mother nearly brought our world to an end. Luckily for us she was so megalomaniac as to desire herself and her progeny to stand above the rest of humanity until that came to pass. So, marrying a brilliant scientist she forced him to find a way to replicate the process that had fused her with life fibers.  
The process was partially successful with me, but I was considered a failure.  
When attempted with my sister, Ryuko, our father hid his success from my mother and told her the girl died during the experiment.

He even hid the truth from me," Satsuki grimaced. "But he told me everything he knew about the life fibers. And he presented me with two weapons: Junketsu, a Kamui consisting of 50 percent life fibers. A percentage that would kill most human beings from the strain of wearing the garment. And my Bakuzan, a sword made of hardened life fibers. The only material that can cut through living life fibers.

Then he faked his own death and secretly started an organization called Nudist-Beach in order to fight the apocalypse my mother was organizing.

I grew up organizing a resistance army of my own, consisting of my loyal and talented friends," Satsuki lovingly smiled at the woman and man on either side of her.  
"We created Kamui of our own and armed ourselves with them against the will of the life fibers inside of them. These Kamui empowered their wearers with superhuman strength and ability. A human being wearing a Kamui or fused with life fibers is capable of things that would curdle the blood in your veins. life fibers are stronger than any material on earth and enable the creatures they bond with to do frightful things. A Kamui-wearing human being can tear through walls, move at the speed of a bullet train, shoot a target over a kilometer away and more.

So you see..." Satsuki impressed on an affected Diana. "... why I am grateful an enemy that already harnassed such fearful power did not strike at a time wherein it could use the power of magic to subdue the small number of us still able to resist it.

When Ryuko arrived at the school that served as the base where we were building our army, with Senketsu - the only other Kamui in the world consisting for 50 percent out of life fibers - and a pair of giant scissors that were also made out of hardened life fibers, I was ignorant of her heritage and she thought me responsible for the death of our father who had finally been found and killed by an associate of my mother. But eventually, we worked together and discovered the truth.

The life fibers were a terrible enemy that nearly succeeded in enslaving us all. The war we waged against them took place four years ago and all three of you were turned into unresisting zombies by the clothes you were wearing at that time because at that point all clothing worn on this world was created by the Revocs Corporation and infused with life fibers.  
In the end... in spite of that monopoly, and the power she and the life fibers ended up wielding over near the entire population of the earth, my mother's vanity yielded the person who ended up in defeating her in my sister, Ryuko.

Due to the unique mutual friendship Ryuko shared with the Kamui my father had created for her, a friendship between human and life fibers, she succeeded in destroying the seed and killing all life fibers on earth.

You have met Ryuko. She seems carefree and free-spirited, but I know that deep down she is still mourning the loss of Senketsu. Their friendship surpassed the goals of their people.

We defeated the greatest enemy of mankind due to the selfless sacrifice of that Kamui."

Diana and Lotte sat in silence when Satsuki had finished talking.

"What you just told is terrible. I can fully understand your concern now. I cannot even imagine how you suffered as children, thinking your sister had died and knowing what your mother was working towards. Everyone owes you, your sister and your friends an enormous debt," Diana stated from the bottom of her heart.

"Uwaaa!"

Everyone looked towards the brunette in the jeans dress who was crying her heart out.

"Poor Ryuko...! Poor Senketsu...!" Akko blubbered. "You all suffered so much while fighting for everyone without us knowing...!"

Satsuki grimaced as she watched the girl get up and come towards her with outstretched arms.

"All those years you were convinced your father and sister had died...!"

"Akko! Please..." Akko don't...!" Diana and Lotte cried out in unison.

Their tall black-haired host recoiled in horror as the witch charged on her... and instantly slammed into 150 kilos of white tuxedo wearing Gamagoori.  
"Auw..." The brunette groaned as she slid down the giant's leg.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kagari," Ira smiled apologetically. "Just doing my job."

"Don't let him fool you," Nonon sneered. "Getting in the way comes naturally to him. Somehow he got Satsuki to pay him for being a hindrance."

As Akko stopped seeing stars her eyes landed on the cornet the pinkette had lying in her lap.  
"You play the trumpet?" She asked.

"This is not a trumpet, Loudmouth. It's a cornet. And I was going to practice in my room before the toad barged in with the three of you."

"It's really beautiful!" The brunette exclaimed as she grabbed the instrument from the young woman's lap. "Can I play?"

"Since you thought it was a trumpet you obviously cannot!" Nonon agitatedly replied.

"Shouldn't we collect Sucy and go to your parents, Akko?" Lotte called. "They'll be wondering what's keeping us."

"Your friend has been away for quite a while," Satsuki addressed Diana while Nonon wrestled Akko for her cornet. "If you want to leave I can send Soroi to find her?"

"Thank you very much. That would be most obliging," The beautiful witch in the orange dress and the purple cardigan replied in an even tone while amusedly glancing over at her boisterous friend.  
"We do have people waiting for us and I don't want to be a bother to them since they are allowing us to stay at their home for the duration of summer break."

"I quite understand," Satsuki replied while she nodded to Soroi, who bowed in understanding and left the room. "To be honest I was preparing for a long journey and still have some work to do. But I am truly honored and pleased to have met the three of you.  
I apologize for my sister's lack of interest, but as I have explained to you: she seems to be grieving still. I assume she has had her fill of the supernatural."

"Please don't apologize," Diana answered. "We are the honored party. You have given me much to consider, and I am planning to appeal to our teachers to be vigilant for the possibility of magic being abused by a third party."

"I would be greatly relieved if a young woman with your intellect was to take an interest in the matter," The lavender-clad businesswoman smiled while shaking Diana's hand.

"Can I ask for the purpose of your journey?" The latter inquired.

* * *

Barazo Mankanshoku had been as good as his word.

A plaque on the door of the patient's toilet alerted anyone with an urgent need that the lavatory of the Mankanshoku family would be available to them due to a problem with the plumbing.  
He had furnished Sucy with all the sterile material she had asked for and opened up his apothecary, garden shed, and his wive's kitchen to her.

So sitting in on the toilet seat, surrounded by blue-and-white tiles depicting cranes nestling among the reeds, Sucy was now fully immersed in mycology heaven.

"What immense luck that I managed to pull out some of the mycelium when I plucked this!" The Filipino crowed.  
"You are growing so fast, dear Ophiocodyceps Matsutake. That magical potion I managed to concoct for you tasted good, didn't it?! Héhéhé.  
I was happy enough finding a fruiting body. But having enough mycelium to clone you has me perfectly ecstatic! Hahahahahahaha!"  
The girl in the frilled lavender dress laughed maniacally while she hugged the basketball-sized aquarium filled with soil from the Mankanshoku garden in which the mycelium was indeed growing peculiarly fast.

A minute later Sucy took a closer look through an old toy microscope of Mataro Mankanshoku at the mycelium creeping up through the soil over the bare glass wall of the aquarium and frowned. "Why are you doing that?" She found herself asking in a suspicious voice.  
The person who unexpectedly opened the dark oaken door of the lavatory scared the living daylights out of her and, with a frightened shudder, the witch dropped the lid of the aquarium onto the luckily carpeted floor.

A young man with the most gorgeous green eyes Sucy had ever seen stood stupidly blinking at her through stylish glasses as she sat on the toilet seat stupidly staring back at him.  
"Excuse me. I had an urgent need," He stammered, awkwardly scratching his teal hair in his dark brown business suit over a vertically striped light-blue and white high-collared shirt.

Hoka had never before lost the ability to properly articulate. But he had never before met such a beautiful girl in such an awkward situation before.  
As he heard Soroi hem behind him a strange glow spread through his body that gave him some clue as to the source of his sudden lack of composure.

* * *

About a quarter of an hour later the young duo quietly walked into Lady Satsuki's "throne room" just after Nonon played the last notes to the cornet solo of "A song for Japan".  
Her audience applauded the pinkette enthusiastically while Hoka and Sucy exchanged an awkward glance.

"I think this is a beautiful way for Rei Hoomaru to make amends for her support to your mother," Diana smiled up at Satsuki. "And I think it is a wonderful of you to use the money and status of your family to aid this noble goal."

"Thank you," Satsuki smiled back. "It remains to be seen whether our efforts will bear the desired fruit for Africa's youth in the long term. But we have gone to much trouble to organize scheduled meetings with a great number of state leaders and important people in the business world and we have spent much time preparing a business plan that will give everyone we talk to an incentive to participate."

"Let me assure you that Lady Satsuki can be very convincing, Miss Cavendish," Ira smiled confidently as he came and stood beside his indulgently grinning employer and friend. "She may prefer to take a sober look at things, but I know we will do great things on our trip.""I don't doubt it," The platinum-blonde smiled back.

"Sucy!" Akko exclaimed as soon as her eyes landed on the mauve-haired witch. "You sneak! You got away as soon as you could to play with your mushroom!" The fuming brunette got head to head with her friend.

Sucy half-absently looked her in the eyes for a moment and burst out in a mad giggle before giving her confused friend a careful hug.  
"You are the gift that keeps on giving, Akko! I never had such a great test subject before I met you. And this trip was the best thing that ever happened to me! In more ways than one..." The Filipino glanced at a blushing Hoka.

"Oh..." Akko cluelessly muttered before she smiled a pleasant: "Thank you."

"Since you expressed your desire to leave, I have brought your luggage, honored guests," Soroi politely bowed as he came in through the same chevron-patterned white oak door Sucy and Hoka had with the witches baggage and brooms.

"Alright!" Akko cheered. "Time to introduce you to the Kagari household!"

Diana stood stiff as a reed while her friend came and pulled boisterously on her arm.  
"Really Akko... You should show better manners after Lady Satsuki treated us so hospitably," She scolded with averted face.

"That's true. I apologize for being so anxious," Akko bowed to Satsuki. "But this is the first time my parents can meet the wonderful friends I have made at Luna Nova Academia.  
I am honestly honored however to have met you all and show you how wonderful magic can be!" She exchanged a meaningful look with Nonon, who was standing near the large gilded mirror over the light oaken cabinet on the other side of the room with Ira, which made Lotte giggle quietly.

"Alright already. It was a nice enough show, Loudmouth," The young woman in the short salmon summer dress grinned. "I hope for your part you will never again mistake a cornet for a trumpet."

Diana watched the ever ceremonious Soroi move stealthily towards the door to the hallway.  
"Oh thank you. But that will not be necessary," She said. "Can you please open one of the windows for us?"

The tall butler threw his mistress an inquisitive look.

"Are you planning on flying out perhaps?" Satsuki asked Diana.

"Don't worry. We have powder we sprinkle over ourselves that deflects the attention of passers-by," Akko winked.

Soroi took note.

"It's true," Lotte nodded at Ira. "All anybody will see is an open window. Unless we talk to them."

"If that is the case I don't have any objections," Satsuki grinned as she shook Akko's hand. "I thank you for the invitation to come and visit you before the end of summer break, but as I told your friend: I will soon leave the country. I will, however, keep in touch. I am highly pleased to have made the acquaintance of such good-natured and gifted young women."

"The pleasure was mutual," Akko shook the taller young woman's hand vigorously before Satsuki offered it to Diana.

The four witches then moved towards the window Soroi had opened for them and sprinkled themselves with the dust before waving a last goodbye and flying out.  
The fateful encounter of that day had deeply affected two of them.

"Where were you, Inumuta!" Ira turned indignantly on Hoka. "You missed the chance to meet four of the most exceptional witches in the world."  
"I didn't miss out on much," the slender man grinned mysteriously. "Actually, In my personal opinion, I was treated to the main event."

Nonon watched Satsuki stare pensively out of the window at the invisible forms of their erstwhile visitors.  
"They are quite something, aren't they?" She offered.

"Yes... They are indeed," The tall blackette agreed and crossed her arms without moving from her position.  
"But somehow what I learned today made me feel uneasy."

"You worry too much," Nonon sighed."Everything will be fine. They too are prepared for any eventuality."

Satsuki turned her head and showed her friend an intense warning look that made Nonon glance at the two young men who were leisurely talking near the white oaken door to the hallway.

"As I said at that time:" The pinkette repeated sadly. "Everything will be fine from here on out."

* * *

Notes: It was a bit of a struggle to find a worthy act to follow in the footsteps of Garnidlia and Yurika, but I'm very happy I found Cyntia to give me a great intro.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	2. Chapter 2

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

The four witches landed unnoticed before the front door of the Kagari residence with the sun still shining brightly above and cicadas chirping all around.

To the left of the door, a large window overlooked the street.  
Diana looked nervously up at the two-story grey paneled house while Akko rang the doorbell. But waiting for two minutes didn't yield any results.

"I don't think your parents are home, Akko," Sucy, who was standing behind her, blankly stated.

Lotte looked from Akko, who had been staring at the dark grey enclosed door with the small shaded square windows, to their diverted platinum-blonde friend.  
"I guess not," The brunette finally replied.

"So how are we going to get in?"

Akko looked at the Filipino to her right before moving her gaze toward Diana who stood to her left.

"Don't you have a key?" Lotte inquired.

Akko scratched the back of her head. "I know!" She finally brightened. "I can use the locksmith spell!  
It's allowed, right?" She asked the hopeful Brit in the orange dress. "It's my own home after all."

"That's true..." Diana began.

"I guarantee none of us are going to file a complaint to the witches council," Sucy smiled indulgently. "Just open the door. I need to use the toilet."

* * *

Once inside, everyone dutifully took off their shoes while standing on the grey tiled floor of the genkan.

Diana watched Akko, who was standing on the dark oak of the raised floor, look in the dark oak cupboard to her left.  
"Oh! Mom and dad bought slippers for you!" The brunette smiled as she held a pair of white wooly ones with a bunny face up for her.

"Thank you... Akko," The young Brit stammered as she took the slippers and turned her eyes towards the white painted wall behind her friend to the amusement of Lotte and Sucy, who exchanged a good-humored grin.

"Welcome in the Kagari-residence!" Akko announced with a broad sweep of her left arm and a chipper smile.  
"Please, sit down at the dining table and I'll make some tea for us all. You can find the toilet behind the cream-colored door beyond the kitchen to your right, Sucy."

To the left of them was the living room.  
Light-grey curtains decorated the window on the far left wall and the two windows in the white painted wall in front of them that from the living room and the adjoining dining room looked out on the small garden along the length of the house.

After they had temporarily deposited their belongings near the stairs, Diana walked slowly over the wooden floorboards towards the brown vinyl sofa set placed around the black walnut low table and oriented towards the extensive multimedia set against the white painted left wall.  
The wall to her left, running along the length of the genkan they came in through, was lined with a large open wooden cabinet filled with books and CDs.

Meanwhile, after Sucy joined her at the white oak dining table facing the dining room window, Lotte looked to the pass-through of the kitchen wherefrom Akko's frustrated muttering could clearly be heard.  
"Is something wrong, Akko?" The blonde in the light-blue shirt and the polka-dotted skirt helpfully inquired, watching her friend open cupboard after cupboard.

"I can't find the tea. It used to be in this cupboard, but my parents seem to have reorganized the kitchen while I was at Luna Nova. Where could they have put it?"

Diana, who overheard the exchange, walked over and entered the kitchen through the cased opening to the right of the pass-through. She came and stood beside Akko as the brunette peered into a high shelf.  
"Let me help," She offered, trying to shove Akko aside so she could take a look.

But the girl in the jeans dress wouldn't have any of it.

"It is my house. You are a guest. It's my duty to make you experience the famous Japanese hospitality," Akko protested, jolting her friend aside.

"You aren't tall enough to properly reach that shelf. It doesn't reflect badly on your hospitality to let me help you," Diana insisted, pushing up against Akko again.

"There you go again, always looking down on others," Akko commented in mock-accusation as she shoved Diana aside again. "Just let me get a chair and I can easily reach it."

"Why are you always so stubborn?" Diana replied, pushing against Akko again. "If you don't succeed once you've tried your way for the hundredth time you should let other people help you out."

"I've accepted lots of help from Diana Cavendish, Luna Nova's mobile library..." "Puh!" "But there are things even I can do without help. Besides... Maybe you are the one who needs to allow someone to do something for her!" Akko punctuated, bumping Diana aside again.

"The two of you seem to be enjoying yourselves," Sucy dryly observed with a sly smile, observing the leisurely struggle over the beige counter of the white painted pass-through.

Her friends turned around in shock at the teasing comment.

"That's not true at all!" Akko wildly protested. "Diana never lets me do anything on my own!"

"Th... There's no way I am enjoying this," Diana spluttered. "Akko is such a dogged mule!"

The Filipino groaned, while Lotte, who had spotted the goal of the search during the commotion, pointed out the picturesque green earthen tea-jar to Akko.  
"As if one tsundere isn't annoying enough," Sucy sighed.

A series of noises made everyone look toward the door of the genkan.

"Yes! They're home!" Akko cheered and ran past Diana towards her parents, leaving the platinum-blonde to make the tea.

"Hellooo!" Her mother, who was first to enter the living room, called out. "Look, father! It's the four olde witches come for a visit."

The woman was wearing her medium length dark-brown hair in a ponytail. A dark-green buckle belt bound a long green summer dress with a repeating pattern of three yellow stripes around her waist.  
Before her overjoyed daughter reached her she had already lowered two heavy canvas grocery bags on the wooden floorboards so she could welcome Akko in her loving embrace.

Diana watched the sight, wishing she dared teleport somewhere in between those two. Akko never looked so cute and cuddly.

The brunette's father came in, wearing a black T-shirt with a picture of Jiji the familiar and a pair of plain blue jeans.  
The handsome short cropped black haired man put one bag down to fondle his daughter's crown. But Akko put her arms around him and held him tight.  
He looked a little embarrassed at his visitors under this display of affection, but returned the embrace with his free arm and didn't let go for a while after Akko had.

"These are my wonderful parents, everyone! And these are my friends from Luna Nova! Thank you so much for letting them stay over for summer break," Akko bowed and prepared to kiss her father's hand to Lotte's amusement.

"Alright, alright," Ichiro sighed. "As long as the four of you behave - and my wife knows I'm talking about her more than anyone - you are more than welcome to stay the entire summer."

He relaxed as his daughter straightened up and rubbed the back of his head.  
"I hope none of you feel insulted by this, but I thought I should dress for the occasion," He said with a cheesy grin and pointed to his T-shirt.

"I don't mind," Lotte replied, visibly relaxed by the carefree behavior of her friend's parents. "Kiki's delivery service is one of my all time favorite anime."

"You must be Lotte, right?"

The Fin nodded in acknowledgment of Reiko's surmise.

Next, the woman's piercing gaze fell on Sucy. "And you must be the sly and sneaky mycologist."

"If only you knew what I've been up to even today," Sucy grinned in her frilled lavender dress.

"I have the feeling I'd rather not," Akko's mother recoiled with a smirk and her hands in a defensive gesture.  
Then she sought for what she was visibly most interested in.

Diana realized she had become the center of attention and waxed nervously under Reiko's kind smile while she continued making the tea.  
"I apologize for using your kitchen," She finally bowed and spoke in her usual ceremonious tone. "Akko was making tea for us and I wanted to help her."

"Don't apologize, Lady Cavendish," Came the winked reply. "I want you to feel at home here."

Diana didn't know if it was the resemblance to the girl she loved or the feeling that the girl's mother was mentally holding her to her heart, but something about those words and that wink was shaping her lips into an unguarded contented smile.

* * *

Akko quietly groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her face was turned to her left, where - her uncovered naked legs bathing in the sunlight that was pouring in through the window behind them - Lotte was still sleeping with her face towards the ceiling and her arms neatly next to her body.

The futon next to the blondes was unoccupied.  
Akko surmised that Sucy must be on the toilet or in the bathroom, playing with her mushroom.  
She curiously looked up and behind at her bed, which, after long protestation by her friend, Diana had finally occupied on condition they would all take turns sleeping in it.

The piano-themed covers had been neatly folded up at the foot end and the mattress was bare.  
Diana must have gotten up already too. Diana always got up early.

Akko smiled at the casual musing.  
Diana was sleeping in her house and had talked with her parents and generally seemed to be enjoying herself.  
A jittery feeling tickled the young witch's heart.  
She gently sat up and looked around her room.

The same light-grey curtains as on the first floor covered the windows here, but the walls were painted a creamy beige.  
Akko's bed was lined up next to the windowed wall with the pillow sharing the piano-theme of the cover and the bottom sheet was bare eggshell white. The pinewood desk that had served her in middle school stood against the wall to her left with the stool underneath.

At her feet lay a plush life-sized beagle and behind that, up against the wall, was an open cabinet filled with an old Chariot statue, a few manga, old books that very pompously claimed to be books on witchcraft but never taught her anything useful and she now knew to her shame were utter nonsense, and a few other trinkets.

To the left of that cabinet was the door to the upstairs hallway. And to her right was the built-in wardrobe.

Akko stretched her arms, got up, and changed into the white blouse and knee-length violet skirt she had laid out the evening before. She carefully stepped over her plush dog and opened the door.  
With a lingering look at her still sleeping friend, she softly closed the door, walked down the hallway, and went down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Akko stepped into her slippers and walked into the living/dining room. Walking past the door of the genkan to her right she saw the backs of Diana and her mother sitting in the brown vinyl sofa in front of the multimedia furniture.

"Good morning," The brunette called out.

"Oh! Good morning, Akko," The two responded with a smile when she sat down in the armchair to their left.

Reiko was wearing a knee-length dark-blue skirt and a cream-colored shirt with a grape-cluster pattern.  
Diana wore a short-sleeve frilled pale yellow shirt and a teal skirt.

Akko noticed the two green porcelain teacups on the black walnut low table.  
"Is Sucy not with you?" She wondered.

"Your friend got up first. She said she was going for a long walk and wouldn't be back before lunch," Reiko grinned.

"Ugh... Sucy. You selfish... I'm sorry, mother," The brunette began.

"Don't worry, Akko. I can appreciate a free spirit. As long as she doesn't get herself into trouble what she does on her holiday doesn't concern me."  
Reiko saw her daughter eye the teacups on the low table again.  
"If you want tea you can get a cup from the kitchen. It really is very good. Thank you for the present, Lady Cavendish,"

Diana couldn't help a slight smile at what she was starting to suspect was becoming Reiko's pet name for her rather than a show of deference.  
"It was the least I could do to thank you for your hospitality to bring a gift of Hannigan and son's delicious tea. I drink no other when I am at home," The platinum-blonde replied.

"With good reason," The woman next to her nodded. "It is the first time in a long time that I get to drink any tea that's not produced by the Tanchozuru tea company. I'd break my husband's heart if I let him know, but this is much better."

Akko chuckled as her mother whispered the last words into her friend's ear.  
"Father won't buy tea from any company but the one he works for," The young witch informed her friend.

"I'm lucky I got him to relent on what soap I buy," Reiko huffed. "Though I might have to give up that comfort if he does switch jobs. He can be sure I'll buy the tea I like again if that's the case. Puh! As if the Osdemir family will pinch their purses when we don't buy their stuff."

"Osdemir?"

Akko returned Diana's nonplussed stare for half a minute without reacting.

At last, the platinum-blonde took a deep breath and sighed.  
"Akko. Isn't Filiz's last name Osdemir? And hasn't she told us once her family owns a company that produces a variety of consumer goods?"

"Huh?!" The brunette sat forward in surprise. "Héhé. I guess I hadn't occurred to me she could be the daughter of the people who employ my father," Akko chuckled while scratching her head.

"Who is this Filiz?" Reiko asked before sipping her tea.

"She.." Diana began.

"Good morning!" Lotte and Ichiro greeted in unison as they came down the stairs and stepped into their slippers.

"Oh, good morning. Sleeping beauties!" The wife of the man in the jeans and the black Kiki's delivery service T-shirt teased. "With my husband up we can finally get some food. My stomach was growling all morning. Lady Cavendish was looking around earlier wondering if we had a cat lying around somewhere."

"Sorry about that. Just making the most of my first day on holiday," Ichiro winked at his wife. "I'll get started on the reason my wife married me in a few minutes."

"I'll come and help!" Akko cried out while she jumped up from her seat. "Time to treat Lotte and Diana to a real Kagari-breakfast!"

"Good morning, Lotte," Diana greeted the Fin who went and sat in Akko's place wearing a loose light-blue jumpsuit over a white T-shirt.

"Hello," The blonde smiled.

"Did you sleep well?" Reiko inquired.

"Yes. Thank you very much. I was a little nervous about sleeping on a futon. But I slept very well."

"Honestly. You should have said so yesterday, Lotte," Diana sighed.

"It's alright. I had to get used to it sooner or later," Lotte waved the issue cheerfully.

"If anyone wants to sleep in the sofa tonight they are welcome to," Reiko offered.

"It really isn't a big deal. It's just that Diana and Akko had a slight argument because each insisted the other slept in the bed. But in the end, we agreed to take turns."

Reiko smiled to herself after her eyes crossed with Diana's during Lotte's innocent explanation.

"So... You were going to tell me about Filiz Osdemir I believe?" She skillfully changed the subject.

"Filiz?" Her husband called from the kitchen where he was preparing the tamagoyaki while Akko was grilling mackerel. "She's Mr. Osdemir's youngest. What about her?"

"She's a witch!" Reiko returned rather loudly.

"Huh?" Ichiro stared.

"Filiz Osdemir is studying witchcraft with your daughter."

"Filiz is in her first year, so we don't see each other very often, but we do get along. And she is one of the girls who wanted to study witchcraft because they learned that Akko, who was able to awaken the Grand Triskellion, has no magical background.  
So obviously she and others have been seeking the friendship of your daughter," Diana smiled.  
"She's affectionate and a little clumsy. But she is a very diligent and talented student. She is very popular among the first years and she and Nela Novotny are always at the top of their class.  
Which is quite amazing, considering they lack any background in witchcraft."

"Ah! Filiz and Nela..." Lotte sighed with a grimace.

"Not the best of friends, huh?" Reiko smiled.

"Filiz does her best," Diana replied. "But Nela is very competitive. And she is quite possessive of Akko's attention among the first years.  
She is a very intelligent but rather confrontational Czech girl who identifies more with Akko than most of the new girls who came to Luna Nova because they were inspired by your daughter.  
She gets along with the girls in her group and a few others, but she is quite intense and because of that she sometimes rubs the other students the wrong way.

"So you're becoming quite the star at school, Akko?" Ichiro chuckled while he and his daughter set the white oaken dining table for five.

"That's right," The brunette grinned, posing with her arms akimbo. "It's a big responsibility to be the hero of an entire generation of witches. But I cannot let Chariot down. I have to take over the burden from her and be the best role model I can be."

"If Akko continues to study with as much dedication as she has been she will be all the role model those girls need," Diana dryly stated while Lotte giggled over her friend's dramatic declaration.

"Ugh... Diana, there you go again, bursting my bubble," Akko hung her shoulders.

"That's not true, Akko," The bespectacled witch in the light-blue jumper corrected. "Diana was giving you a compliment."

"Oh yes, that's true!" Lotte's friend veered up again with a bright smile.

"So..." Ichiro stood at the table. Ready to invite everyone to breakfast. "Where's Sucy?"

* * *

"This place looks like it could cave in on us at any minute," Sucy's voice echoed through the enormous basement as she and Hoka walked behind Soroi along the steel balcony.

"It was the best I could think of to provide a home for our mycelium," The butler's voice echoed in response.

"It will certainly have nourishment enough here," Hoka commented.

"Please, be careful on the staircase," Soroi cautioned in his drawling voice as he looked behind him at the girl in the frilled lavender dress and the young man in the dark-grey business suit. "I have tested it's load bearing ability earlier. But we should be wary."

As he descended the winding steel staircase Hoka looked at the girl in front of him.

In just fifteen minutes she had turned his entire life inside out  
He wondered if he would have fallen as madly in love with her at first glance without what had happened. He liked to believe so.  
But that growing affection wasn't the only thing that was making his palms sweaty.  
None of their friends would understand what they were doing. And Hoka couldn't help being nervous about that.

"If I may direct you here?" Soroi called from the shades once all three of them had reached the dirty covered concrete floor.

Sucy took Hoka's hand and showed an excited grin.  
This seemed a strange metaphor for all the intimate and emotional moments two people who love one another can share.  
Having a baby. Buying a pet. Burying a parent.  
But none of them were applicable.

"This is what I had in mind as the most fitting place to give our mycelium a home," The darkly clad butler announced in his creeping voice.

Hoka had to swallow for a moment when he saw what Soroi meant.  
"How did you find this?" The young man in the teal-tinted glasses gasped.

"I listen to what others say around me," Soroi explained, turning around and facing his young friend. "And I was able to find what others wanted to keep secret."

"I don't know if this such a good idea after all," Hoka protested as he put a hand through his hair.  
He looked next to him as his other hand was being squeezed by Sucy.

"After what happened, do you still have such scruples?" She asked kindly.  
"I am surprised at what Soroi is presenting us with too. But the two of you explained everything to me and we agreed that this would be the best way to provide our mycelium with appropriate nourishment and permanent home."

Hoka was nearly swayed.

"We all know that nobody else would understand what happened... But the three of us know why we are doing this," The young witch continued.

Her lover looked from Sucy's excited but kind smile to Soroi's firm, confident expression.

"I am not entirely happy to keep this from my Lady Satsuki either. But we all agreed this was right and necessary," The butler stated.

Hoka looked down and swallowed again. "Alright then," He finally nodded.

Soroi turned around and took the aquarium from the plastic table he had sat it on.  
He gripped the rim and with a controlled hit from his fist the glass container broke into pieces.  
Nimbly switching the globe of mycelium betwixt his hands he calmly divested it of its glass prison.  
Then he placed it on its feeding ground.

Giggling and grinning like mad, Sucy saw the mycelium feed and grow at the abnormal rate she had witnessed before.  
A new fruiting body seemed to be slowly developing. Only it had the wrong color and it seemed entirely the wrong texture. But Sucy knew that she shouldn't be surprised about whatever her treasure did anymore.

Then the shape grew larger and changed its form and gradually the young witch started to realize that what was developing in front of her was no fruiting body.  
She became as silent as the men next to her and stood as slack-jawed.

Sucy, Hoka, and Soroi had seen things that would make most people's heads spin. But what they were witnessing now filled them with a kind of awe they had never experienced before.

There was no doubt in them left now that what had happened was going to change everything.

* * *

"That was delicious!" Akko sighed, sitting back in the brown vinyl sofa opposite the pinewood open cabinet that held her parent's books and CD's. "I missed your cooking so much. Thank you, father."

Ichiro, who sat in the armchair opposite her with a paperback novel opened in his hands, smiled his appreciation of the compliment.

"We could eat Japanese at school sometimes if we cooked for ourselves," Diana gently offered as she shifted her legs in her teal skirt.

"Nonono!" Akko shook her head violently, to the amusement of Lotte who was sitting next to her in her light-blue jumper over a white shirt. "Father's cooking can't be topped. It wouldn't be the same."

"Regardless," Reiko chimed in, sitting in the right seat of the other sofa.  
She folded her arms and closed her downcast eyes in an expression of slight exasperation. "It sounds to me like your friend would like to join you in cooking dinner together occasionally."

"Huh?" A slight blush spread over Akko's face as she sat in attention in her white blouse and knee-length violet skirt. "Would you like that, Diana?"

"I... It seems fun to do so once in a while," The platinum-blonde stammered while observing the spines of the books in the cabinet to her left. "And since your father has a talent for cooking it would be a shame not to try and develop that skill yourself."

"That's right, Akko!" Lotte realized. "It would be good practice for culinary magic class."

"Alright then!" The young brunette punched the air. "Starting the new semester. We'll have a culinary feast for ourselves every week."

Diana hugged her short-sleeve frilled pale yellow shirt and turned her face to her friend. Smiling at the brunette's exuberance their eyes met.

"What are we going to do today?" Lotte inquired suddenly. "It's nice to sit and talk. But we never really agreed on what we would be doing together on our vacation."

"That's a very good question, Lotte!" Akko grinned. "Today I was planning on taking you on a sight-seeing tour to all the important places of my childhood in the neighborhood."

"That could be interesting," Diana smiled to herself. "I'll join you."

"Great!" Akko cheerfully exclaimed. "How about you, Lotte?" She turned to the girl sitting next to her.

"Alright," The blonde nodded. "Sounds like fun."

"Be sure to show your friends a good time, Akko," Reiko advised while she got up, turned the black walnut low table on to its side against the brown vinyl sofa that Akko and a surprised Lotte got up from, and walked towards the open cabinet.

Diana followed Akko and walked toward the genkan while Lotte lingered and looked at the cover of the book the man wearing the T-shirt of Kiki's black familiar was occupied with.  
"You both seem to enjoy reading," She observed after noticing several library books in the cabinet behind him.

"Oh no. Those are all mine," Akko's father corrected. "Reiko doesn't care for fiction. But she often borrows textbooks from the library."

"Aside from studying for school or leisure, girls shouldn't have their noses buried in books," The brunette grinned as she slid a cd in the multimedia system and turned up the volume.  
"Listen to my advice, girls! Whether by or for men or women, all stories are written with a man's world in mind and they'll only serve to cost you self-worth and confidence."

The woman in the knee-length dark-blue skirt and the grape-cluster patterned cream-colored shirt took the remote control from the surface of the multimedia furniture in a swirling movement and stood in front of the three witches in a wide stance.

"There are only three pass-times fit for a woman! Sports! Study! And... Party!"

Reiko pushed a button on the remote and whirled it into the sofa to her left while Hiroshi Watanabe's Multiverse album started to play at high volume.  
Akko smiled at the slack-jawed platinum-blonde friend to her right who couldn't stop staring at the woman dancing in front of them like she was in one of Tokyo's hippest discotheques.

"Can you read like this?! " Lotte asked her husband in a loud voice.

"I have gotten used to it!" Ichiro yelled in reply. "It is actually great fun cleaning the house together like this!"

* * *

"Your father is quite handsome, Akko," Lotte complimented as they walked down a slightly descending street among black, white, and grey paneled two-story houses with quaint little gardens in between or in front of them.

"Thank you, Lotte," The brunette grinned. "My schoolmates have always commented on his looks. "Mom often tells me she was the envy of her friends, but she made sure not to let it go to his head."

"Where are you bringing us first?" Diana, who walked behind the other two, inquired while feasting her eyes on a lone hydrangea growing in the small enclosure of a house on the other side of the street.

"Aaah!" The young witch in front of her exclaimed with a finger pointed up in the air. "First we will visit the battlefield of my youth."

"Battlefield?" Lotte frowned in confusion.

"You'll see. It's not far from here," Akko smiled with the summer sun shining down on them and the cicada's chirping.

* * *

Lotte and Diana followed their friend into a great park with blooming hydrangeas, spirea, cherry trees, and black pines.

They entered the park from the east entrance, where a small playground was erected with an old fashioned dark-green jungle gym in the middle closest to them.  
Behind it from left to right was an orange painted wooden tower with a ladder and a slide, a plain wooden sandpit of about two square meters and a double swing with blue wooden seats.

About forty children were having the time of their lives on the structures.

To the left and right of the jungle gym were two plain wooden tables of about a meter by three with benches on each side, which were occupied by a family of five and four middle schoolers respectively. And behind the row of other structures were five other wooden benches where mothers and fathers observed the children playing.

"This is where I spent most of my days after elementary school!" Akko announced as she turned around and held her arms wide.

"It's beautifully maintained," Diana observed, looking at the pink hydrangea shrubs and the white spirea's that bordered the playground.

"You called this your battleground, Akko?" Lotte asked. "But this park seems very peaceful."

"Well, I didn't get into any fights obviously. Héhéhé..." Akko grinned in embarrassment when a critical look from her platinum-blonde friend in the teal skirt and the pale yellow shirt challenged her lie. "But I did get my share of bruises here."

"I can imagine you being a handful for your parents as an elementary schooler, Akko!" Lotte giggled.

"That's true," The brunette in the white blouse and the violet skirt confirmed as she rubbed the back of her head. "I gave them quite a scare whenever I came here so I could practice riding the broom. I used to invent all kinds of ways to sneak our broom out of the house. Sometimes I'd get the one from school..."

Lotte and Diana shared an amused look while their friend reminisced about her juvenile delinquencies with her right hand on her hip and the other rubbing her chin.

"The only way they could get me to stop was by promising they would let me go to Luna Nova when I was old enough and got good grades," Akko continued as she looked around.  
"I once broke my arm when I tried to fly from the jungle gym to the sandbox." The brunette pointed at the structure. "I cried all the way to the hospital. That's when I was seven, I think. It wasn't long after I saw Chariot's show."

Diana grimaced slightly as she imagined a seven-year-old Akko in tears. But then, to her surprise, her friend ran to a black pine near the table to the right of the jungle gym and she followed patiently.

"I broke a broom from school and bit my tongue when I fell down here once! But the worst was how my bottom hurt for a whole week.  
Another time I was standing on one of the highest branches of this pine and the wind blew off my witch's hat. I clumsily tried to reach for it and lost my balance, falling down on my forehead before I even got the chance to try flying. I still got a minute scar from that time," The brunette said while she looked at the finger she put to her scalp.

"Heavens, Akko! I can't believe accidents like that didn't teach you to be more careful. There's a reason nobody is allowed to practice unsupervised in magic school," Diana sighed.

"Really?" The brunette regarded her friend with an innocent expression. "That wasn't even the worst of it."

Without warning, Lotte saw her friend run to the swing where a four-year-old girl and her friend stared up at the brunette as she excitedly continued her trip through memory lane.

"I held the theory for a while that if I could get enough acceleration my powers of flight would awaken as I took off. So I spent a lot of times swinging with my broom before I jumped.  
I must have fallen on my face a hundred times trying to launch from this swing," Akko smiled at the swing while she held one of the ropes in her hand."

"You should never do this yourself," Lotte cautioned the boy and girl looking on while Diana watched her friend with a lump in her throat.

"I fell so hard that one time, I thought I had broken my shoulder. But it was only sprained. There were some boys who used to laugh at me whenever I practiced," The brunette growled.

Lotte turned pale and cast her eyes down in pity as she listened.

"One time the broom broke between my legs as I fell and I hit my head so hard I lost consciousness. When I woke up they burst out laughing.  
And over there I once stumbled while running for lift-off and got a gashing wound in my thigh!" Akko turned and pointed at a spot near the sandbox while a trembling and grimacing Diana reached out a hand, fighting against the urge to pull the shorter girl into a hug.

"Hey! Atsuko Kagari!"

The three friends turned around and saw three boys coming towards them.

A tall black-haired guy in a grey buttoned shirt and green cotton slacks. A red-headed boy in a pale blue T-shirt with two prominent black rectangles printed on and a pair of jeans. And a smaller blonde kid with a green T-shirt over a pair of jeans.

"Mitsuo, Shigeo, and Hisao! Speak of the devil!" Akko growled again as the three boys walked up to them from the direction of the entrance to the park.

"It's been years since we last saw you here, Kagari. Did you move out of town?" Shigeo, the redhead, grinned while playing with a strawberry Ramune bottle in his left hand.

"No!" Akko grinned, standing flanked by a curious Diana and Lotte with her arms akimbo and her head held high. "I've been at magic school!"

The boys blinked for a moment. Then they shared an amused look and burst out in laughter.  
"Hahahaha! Sure you were, Kagari!"

"It's true!" The brunette glowered. "Didn't you didn't see me destroy that magical missile on television?"

"Hahahaha! This gets better and better." "Are you superwoman?"

"Grrr... I was flying through the sky on a broom with this girl!" Akko took a surprised Diana by the arm. "She is the most talented witch in the world! And together we neutralized a rocket that could have started a world war!"

"Akko..." Diana began.

"Hahaha! All this big talk and lies just to cover for the fact that your parents moved out of town out of embarrassment for your antics!" Mitsuo laughed.

Diana scowled at the boy.

"Those witches on television were real heroes. You are just a loud embarrassment," Shigeo grinned as he callously swung his empty Ramune bottle in the sand underneath the swing.

"Here, I'll show you I can fly!" Akko scowled as she swung out her right arm to conjure her broom.

"No, Akko. These boys aren't worthy to see the results of your effort and persistence!" Diana stepped forward in controlled fury and held her arm out in front of her friend.

The boys raised their brows as the elegant platinum-blonde spoke to them.

"Effort and persistence?" Shigeo grinned. "All she has done here was make a fool of herself. You are a foreign exchange student, aren't you? You're having trouble making friends? I can't imagine what you would be doing hanging out with this clown if you're not."

Diana grimaced but controlled herself... For the most part.  
"I wonder who the bigger fool is?" She stated, crossing her arms and glaring at the three boys in front of her.  
"You seem like nothing more than a bunch of good-for-nothings who, rather than put any effort in anything, spend their lives frustrating those who aim higher with their self-important judgment and selfish behavior.  
Akko has spent her life aiming for a dream.  
Even if her efforts have been fruitless, which I can assure you: they have not!" The Brit leaned forward and raised her voice.  
"Akko has spent her life in a far more respectable manner that I am sure you have!"

Shigeo was silent for a moment and swallowed. He rather liked this hot and hot-heated foreign girl.  
As he was about to retort his shorter blonde friend pulled on his arm.

"Hey, Shigeo! We better get out here. That crazy bitch is coming over."

The three boys looked ahead in the direction Hisao was pointing and as Diana and her friends turned and followed their startled looks they were met by the sight of a recent acquaintance.

Ryuko Matoi walked up to the group with decisive steps in a loose fluorescent yellow overall, dark-green boots and a beige cap to protect her eyes from the sun.

"I don't care about that woman!" Shigeo said in a nervous voice. "I'm not afraid of her."

"Even if you say that..." Mitsuo grimaced at the scowling young woman. "I'm getting out of here."

Hisao tried to turn around. But his shoes were tied together by the laces and he took a nasty fall.  
Mitsuo took his example, while their redheaded friend turned to look at the spectacle and fell over the other two.

"Hahaha!" Diana laughed out loud while Lotte and Akko frowned in surprise at their friend's unusual behavior.  
"I've never seen such clowns! It seems that some people haven't mastered the art of walking yet."

"Ho... How did you do that?" Shigeo stuttered while he tried to untie his shoelaces.

"Come now," Diana huffed with folded arms. "What are you suggesting we are? Witches? A minute ago you were saying we couldn't even fly a broom."

"Hey, you troublemakers!" Ryuko growled at the three boys who were struggling back onto their feet. "You think I didn't see what you did?"

"What are you yelling about?" Shigeo smirked. "Such bad manners these public greenery maintenance people have. Maybe I should complain to your overseer?"

Ryuko's scowl grew darker.  
"Pick up that trash. There are garbage cans all over the place," The blackette steamed while tapping her foot.

"What? Isn't that what you are getting paid for?" Her redheaded antagonist challenged.

The park maintenance worker glared at the boy.  
"No," She growled. "They pay me to teach guys like you a lesson."

Ryuko moved fast as lightning. Then she slowly looked down and smirked.  
"Hey, hey! I heard of glass eyes, but is that a glass dick?"

The three boys looked down in consternation at the ramune bottle sticking up through the fly of Shigeo's jeans.

"Huh? What?!" The redhead exclaimed. Then he turned his frightened eyes on the three witches who had been looking on to Ryuko's left.  
"This is your doing again, isn't it?!"

"Oh," The young woman in the fluorescent overall muttered as she realized who the three girls behind her were.  
"What are you talking about?!" She demanded, turning her eyes back on the boy in front of her.  
"Stop making a scene and throw that thing into a garbage can or I'll call the police! This is a public park.  
There are children everywhere!"

"Come on guys! We're not coming here again!" Shigeo yelled as he pulled the ramune bottle out of his jeans pants and ran off with his friends. "You are all witches!"

"Good riddance," Ryuko muttered and attempted to walk off without notice.

"Hey! Aren't you the girl I bumped into yesterday?" Akko cheerfully called as the blackette stiffened.

"Yeah... Could be..." Ryuko muttered and continued towards the orange tower with the ladder and slide.

"Hey, are you so determined to keep away from the supernatural that you're just going to ignore us?" The brunette in the white shirt and violet skirt demanded with her arms folded.

Ryuko turned around slowly and raised a perplexed eyebrow.  
"What are you talking about?" She asked in a confused voice.

"Your sister told us all about your heroic struggle and the losses the two of you have suffered," Diana regally but kindly informed the young woman in front of her.  
"She explained that you probably didn't want to see us because you still miss Senketsu and don't want to have anything to do with the supernatural."

"Whaaa...?!" Ryuko exclaimed in consternation. "She's still saying that?"

Diana, Lotte, and Akko watched the young woman turn beet-red and pull her cap over her eyes, overcome by sudden emotion.  
"Geez, sister... Stop fussing. I'm fine," The blackette muttered.

The three witches looked on as their new acquaintance stood motionless and silent for half a minute.  
"If we caused you any grief we apologize..." Diana carefully spoke at last.

"Hahaha!" Ryuko suddenly laughed while rubbing her hair and clutching her cap in her right hand.  
"I am the one who should apologize for the selfish behavior that led to this misunderstanding," She said.  
"It's a little embarrassing. That's the reason I was trying to get away from you just now...

When we arrived at the house I share with my sister and the Mankanshoku family it's was just about lunchtime.  
So, smelling the odor of Sukuyo's delicious mystery croquettes I couldn't help myself and snuck off to join my best friend at the dinner table," The young woman dreamily stated.  
"I'm very sorry," She hurriedly bowed.

Lotte, Akko, and Diana shared a look after the explanation.

"Well, I guess I can understand being too hungry to be civil," Akko deadpanned. "Come to think of it: It's well past lunchtime, isn't it? Let's get something to eat, everyone."

"Hey, hey..." Ryuko sweated. "I get it already. Tell you what: I get off work at four. If you all meet me here at that time I'll treat you to a shake. Do we have a deal?"

* * *

Otyllia Dziedzic slowly descended the poorly lit winding staircase in the concrete brick stairwell of her friend Victor's apartment building.  
The orange-haired witch had waited impatiently to get back home from Luna Nova so she could see her dear bald Ukrainian friend again.

The reunion had been heartfelt.  
Her former music teacher had pulled the girl in the short-sleeved green dress into his arms as soon as he had opened the door.  
They had talked for hours about his new students, concerts he had attended, life at Luna Nova and her parents.

Victor had greatly enjoyed the bottle of Scotch Whiskey she had brought for him, knowing how he loved the liqueur.

Otyllia smiled to herself and felt her heart thump.  
Victor was only a few years older than her and she knew he felt the same. They would wait for each other.

Suddenly a door closed above her and slow footsteps descended above.

Valentyn, her rat-familiar, moved nervously about in the yellow pouch tied around her waist. But she didn't need him to feel uneasy about the person who might be descending behind her.

She finally came to the orange door to the ground floor and turned the handle.  
To her sudden terror, she couldn't get the door to open though she pulled as hard as she could.

She contemplated running back to the second floor but heard the footsteps above were coming closer.  
Her orange braid flowing behind her, Otyllia turned and ran down the stairs to the parking lot.  
Luckily the door to the parking lot gave way when she pulled and she quickly ran out into the white-pillared cavern.

When she was about three meters from the door the young witch turned and faced the door with a determined scowl.  
If it had come to this she would defend herself. She didn't know whether her attacker had come alone. But she was one of the top-ranking second-year students and she knew how to handle a light-saber.

Her heart thumped again when the orange door opened and she saw that her expectations had been met. If only she had told someone about her discovery.

"What are you doing here?!" Otyllia demanded. "I think I told you all I had to say!"

"I know… That's what I'm here for," The person in the shadows spoke.

"Then you are too late. I already told Headmistress Holbrooke everything."

"Hahaha!" Ottyllia's attacker laughed. "I hope you are better at fighting than you are at lying, dear Ottylia. Because I knew that spell would last until yesterday morning."

Otyllia saw her interlocutor approach with a magic wand in the right hand which suddenly morphed into a white glowing saber.

"I'm warning you!" She replied nervously as she conjured up her own magic wand in her left hand and shaped it into a similar weapon. "Using offensive magic outside of school grounds can get you imprisoned for five months up to five years. My friends will be here any minute and if I bring them as witnesses that letter will be the least of your problems."

The other person came closer, but only responded with the spell: "Obscurem." extinguishing all the tubular lighting in the subterranean car park.

With her beating fast, Otyllia decided she needed to attack first and she lunged, hoping to be able to disarm her assailant.  
Her attack was skillfully repulsed and she immediately had to parry a counter-attack.  
The orangette instantly teleported to the other side of her opponent, but the person turned and forced her parry before she had a chance of her own to attack.

The glowing sabers of the two duelists clashed again and again in the pitch-black car park as they danced around one another and used teleportation to try and gain an advantage.

At first, it seemed to Otyllia that they were evenly matched. Sensing her opponent's movements she was able to parry every attack. The fencers pushed one another back alternately and moved deeper into the carpark as they fought on.  
But her assailant began to fight more violently.

Her opponent moved their saber underneath the Polish witch's as they pushed it and her arm outwards.  
Otyllia jumped back and narrowly parried her assailants lunge.  
She knew she had to find a way to escape.

If she could blind her assailant she could conjure her broom, fly to the car park's exit and use a locksmith spell to open the portal and fly home.  
She should have thought of that when she stood in front of the door to the first floor.

After successfully evading another dangerous attack she quickly shouted: "Clari Lumine!"

The entire car park was bathed in light. The young witch couldn't see anything herself.

Otyllia held out her right hand to conjure her broom. But at that moment her opponent's saber painfully pierced her shoulder.  
The sharp pain stung all though that side of her body as her wand fell from her hand and she lost the use of her left arm.

"Fulghe Cumules!"

The young witch with the orange braid saw the tubular lighting in the car park overload in a shower of sparks at her assailant's command as she was grabbed by the throat and lifted up.  
Struggling to breathe and to release herself from the iron grip, Otyllia slowly felt her consciousness slip away as she observed the unnatural fascination in the eyes of her murderer.

She died from a broken neck as soon as the last light went out.

* * *

In the far distance, a tyrannosaurus rex morphed into a woodpecker. And then into a platypus.  
A school of fishes slowly morphed into a stampede strange wingless insects.  
A little farther away a rice field morphed into grazing land.

The horizon itself seemed to have difficulty deciding what it wanted to be.  
One moment it was formed by a range of mountains. The next, Diana saw an ocean before her that stretched into the sky. Then the sky was formed out of a desert and she was standing on a cloud.

There were cities that morphed into spaceships. Animals that morphed into creatures the witch had never seen before and cars that morphed into carts and from that into shimmers.

"What is this place?" The Brit muttered to herself.

"This is the world where the past and the future meet."

Diana turned around, startled by a dignified but cheerful female voice.  
A giant woman with long flowing dark hair, wearing a long black and blue robe with a pattern of purple diamonds, was reclined on a wooden deck chair behind her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The woman smiled.

"It is peculiar. But I agree it is appealing," The young witch commented.

"Always honest to a fault. Miss Diana Cavendish," The woman said in a clear, pleasing voice as she looked out over the distance with an amused grin.

"Do we know each other?" Diana inquired politely.

The woman looked down at her and sat up in her chair.  
She was at least five meters tall.  
"And always full of curiosity," She chuckled as she reached and gently held the platinum-blonde's face between thumb and forefinger.

"I am Meifa. The Black Princess/Shrine Maiden Of Salvation," Meifa talked in an animated manner.  
I do not always sit here in this indolent way, you know. I actually work quite hard.  
But I felt like enjoying the beauty of my surroundings for a moment. And then you show up. It is always nice to have a visitor," She said as she let go of Diana's face and fondled some kind of passing aquatic lizard that instantly morphed into something looking like a hedgehog in her left hand.  
"But in this case, I am afraid the pleasure is all mine."

Diana was silent. She looked over the long blue dress she was wearing. Then she looked out over the landscape again and finally set her gaze on her giant companion.

"Did you bring me here?" She asked.

Meifa chuckled.

"No, dear Diana," She answered cheerfully. "What happens to your world is of no importance to me. Though I enjoy your visits.  
You are the one who brought yourself here. Or rather, your intuition called upon the power of your ancestors to bring you here.  
You always do when you feel like your world is going to shatter."

Diana's heart beat harder and she swallowed. "So we have met before?" She appealed.

Meifa looked down at her with a smile.

"The last time you were here was when your mother died.  
Being here helped you realize that everything flows together. I made you forget your time here when I sent you back but I wondered if you would ever feel the need to come back here," The woman said.

"But how did I know to come here?" Diana asked.

"Is that what you wonder about?" Meifa giggled. Then she looked ahead.  
"Isn't it nice how a small change can have such a profound effect? The insertion of one nucleotide pair in the DNA can change the entire nature of a lifeform. And a grain of kindness can change the cruelest heart." The giant woman mused.

Diana observed the blackette in wonder as she gazed out over the exploding sky.

"Two things happened today that are going to shape your future.  
Your strong intuition picked on that and brought you here," Meifa smiled as she looked down at her confused visitor.  
"I'm sorry. You are not going to like several things that are going to happen, dear Diana. But it is your future."

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	3. Chapter 3

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

Rei Hoomaru stood patiently waiting at the left side of the personal Mitsubishi Dignity limousine of ShelteR Inc's CEO in her mauve business suit over a white shirt.

She had come straight to the house Satsuki had bought for herself from her own apartment at the other end of Minato-ku after several goodbye kisses from her fiancé Carlos, promises to take lots of pictures, and a heartfelt encouragement to "give it all that she got!" and "I know that you are going to make a difference in the lives of millions of people in the next month!".

Life-fiber infused or not. That was a lot of pressure.

But Rei had not taken Satsuki's promise as empty words on that day, a little more than four years ago. Neither had the young woman who was now her closest friend. Both had worked hard to prepare for the coming weeks.

They had gone to war-torn and recovering regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, and other African countries.

They had met with African business leaders and state leaders, local jurisdiction holders and leaders of militant groups. They had talked with relief workers, teachers, doctors, religious leaders and common people from all ages and walks of life.

They had studied hundreds of reports and projects. They had followed courses on the influence of global economics and politics on the African sub-continent. They had worked more than two years, often all through the night to formulate a plan that would make it worthwhile for every party with major influence in African politics and economics to make prolonged investments and enable conscientious, stable, and representative governments to use those investments to improve infrastructure, promote co-operation between the major political, social and religious powers and repair social ties through reconciliation programs.

They had gone back and forth to the experts they had talked to with their plan and made alterations and additions where advised.

It had been tiresome, frustrating, exciting, dangerous at times, and enraging  
It had created a deep understanding and respect between the two young women.  
And now they would finally go out to the political arena to promote their plan and use all of the power and influence ShelteR Inc. held and all of the intelligence and eloquence they held to fight for the future of Africa's youth.

Rei looked down the ginko-lined street with the red brick pedestrian walk and the beautiful multiple-story beige brick row-houses. Lady Satsuki was taking her time.  
She looked behind her in the white luxury vehicle where Soroi, who would be accompanying them, was already sitting neatly with folded hands in the backward facing couch.

Soroi was only supposed to come along for personal butler duty to Satsuki. But the man had made the ingenious proposal, at the last minute, of spicing up their presentation by bringing some of the famous Japanese hospitality abroad and treating their hosts to a Japanese tea ceremony before the meetings.  
Thus he had brought a ton of tea and delicacies with him which he had deposited in the car's trunk.

The young woman with the violet curls looked ahead when she heard the sound of conversation and saw her travel-companion finally walk out of the glass sliding doors of her paneled beige six-story building in a white business suit over an ice-blue shirt with Ryuko and Nonnon on either side of her.

Ira Gamagoori, the fourth of their traveling group, walked cautiously behind them in a blue tuxedo over a grey shirt.  
"I can't believe Hoka isn't here!" The giant grumbled. "As your secretary, he is responsible for ShelteR Inc. during your tour."

"Which is exactly why he cannot be here," Satsuki gently interrupted her well-meaning friend. "As we begin our tour of world leaders Hoka is beginning his tour of Japanese businesses after which he will talk in parliament. I will gladly excuse him from seeing us off."

"Well, I'm sure glad you're being more relaxed about things since our little talk yesterday, sis."

Satsuki grinned as she watched the stretching blackette wearing a black T-shirt with a gold-bordered red star and a pair of jeans walking to her right.

"Yes," She replied. "It is a good thing for sisters to be concerned about each other's well being. But we shouldn't burden ourselves with worry. So, don't you worry either, Ryuko. I trust that all is well with you."

"And even if she isn't, I will watch over her. So you can rest easy, Satsuki," Nonon, walking on the left of her friend with a self-satisfied smile, declared. "I'll stay over in my room for the duration of your journey to make sure Ryuko doesn't get into trouble."

"It's not your room though. It's a guest room," Ryuko said with a blasé expression.

"Whatever you believe is fine," Nonon grinned in her short-sleeved white summer dress with a pattern of blue fishes.

As the group stopped in front of the white Mitsubishi Dignity limousine Satsuki's eyes met Rei's and the two women shared a grin and a nod before Satsuki turned around while Ira opened the car door. Ryuko and Nonnon had the same expression on their faces.

"Good luck, you two. You worked hard on your battle plan. Now put it to use," The young woman in the T-shirt with the red star winked.

"Yeah... Conquer them, heart, mind, and bank account," Nonnon added. "You'll be fighting for the future of millions of people. We know you will be a success."

"Thank you," Rei smiled and looked at the taller woman standing to her right.

"Are you ready?" Satsuki asked.

Rei nodded and stepped into the beige-colored seating of the limousine in the seat next to Soroi.

"Hey, Rei!"

The dark-skinned young woman looked up at Ryuko's kind smile through the door opening.

"Don't take it too hard if a few of the people you visit aren't persuaded to join in the project. The success of the ones who are will make them follow later."

"Thank you. That's part of our intention," The permanent member on the board of directors of the Root Of Origin Foundation smiled back. "But we aren't going for less than total victory."

"It's just that we worry about the furniture in the white house," Nonnon teased.

Rei grinned in embarrassment as she remembered what she did to Satsuki's previous dining table when they received word that the prime minister of a certain European nation refused to talk to them at all.  
"I'll keep my frustration in check," She returned Satsuki's smile as the taller woman got in and sat beside her.

"Alright, you two!" Ira Gamagoori shouted at Ryuko and Nonnon, who both raised their brows at him.  
"I want you both to stay out of trouble and make Lady Satsuki proud of your behavior while we're gone!"

The two young women exchanged a look.

"Get into the car, Toad," Nonnon calmly replied. "I have work to do."

"That's easier said than done," The blonde giant muttered while he squeezed his arms, his torso, and lastly his legs into the car and hunched under its roof while occupying the front-facing backseat.

"Thank you for getting this made to order SUV model, Lady Satsuki," Ira grinned at last.

"Think nothing of it, my friend," Satsuki smiled back as her bodyguard closed the door.  
She turned her face to her right and watched her sister and oldest friend cheerfully wave them goodbye as the chauffeur started the car and drove them down the beautiful gingko-lined street.

* * *

A little while later the delegation from The Root Of Origin foundation was driving through the city towards the airport.  
Rei read through a pdf of the ROO investment plan on her smartphone.

"Are you nervous?" Satsuki asked.

The young black woman looked up at her friend's kind frowning face.  
"I'm just trying to make sure I memorized everything," Rei answered and looked at the text again.

"I'm nervous too," Satsuki said.

Rei looked at her again, but the taller woman had turned her gaze on the traffic outside.

"This is a great and worthy endeavor. Like athletes, we have worked hard for years in order to give it all we got at the decisive moment. That moment has come now. We would not be worthy of success if we weren't nervous," Satsuki stated.  
She slowly looked back at Rei and the two women shared a smile.

"Yes... I am nervous," The violet-haired young woman finally admitted.

"It's perfectly normal to be nervous at times like this," Ira grinned.

"Indeed," Soroi quietly agreed as he watched pedestrians pass them by while they waited for the lights to change at a crossroads, drawing everyone's eyes to him"

"You get nervous, Mr. Soroi?" Ira inquired with a face as if he just learned fire is cold.

The butler gave him an intense look and spoke tremulously.  
"I do, Mr. Gamagoori. In fact, I am extremely nervous at the moment."

"Ah, don't worry!" Ira said in good cheer. "I know you've given yourself a lot of extra responsibility, but all three of us are confident there is no person more fitted to use luxury to soften the humor of the people Lady Satsuki and Miss Hoomarou will appeal to than you. In the profession of domestic service, you are unrivaled."

Soroi's uneasiness didn't exactly diminish after these kind words.

"Gamagoori is right, Soroi," His young mistress's voice turned his attention to her.  
"As we just established: Every one of us is nervous. But we are all well-prepared to meet the challenge before us. So know that we believe in you. Everything will be alright."

Soroi grimaced slightly at Satsuki's kind encouraging smile and the bright light she always shone on those around her before he turned his face away with difficulty and looked out of the window again, thinking about other things.

"Thank you, Lady Satsuki. I trust you are right," He quietly returned.

* * *

Faisal Osdemir was slowly and rhythmically tapping his fingers on the 5-meter long black oak table in the sober cream-colored board-room of the Yamazaki tower, headquarters of the Japan-based multinational Tanchozuru tea company.  
The broad-shouldered and broad-faced 52-year old Turk looked out of the meter-high room-length window to his left at the city's skyline.

What had just been proposed to him and his board of directors was preposterous. What he had seen was utterly outlandish.

He leaned his head in his right hand and leered like an animal at the teal-haired young man in the grey business suit standing with folded arms and a smug smile next to the flat-screen television on the opposite wall.

This business proposal was, in reality, a corporate take-over. Faisal would have to hand over factual control of his life's work for the promise of a ridiculous growth-rate.  
It was as if history was repeating. And being muscled into a position of subservience wasn't a feeling you could happily grow accustomed to.

At the age of 28, the large bald man founded the Russian branch of his father's tea company in St. Petersburg where he had met his wife.  
Then, when his dear uncle died so young from that strange illness, he inherited Agda Ay LS which produced soap and detergents.  
He expanded the firm in Turkey and Russia and afterward opened branches in New York and Paris.  
When his father also unexpectedly died, he fused the two companies he had inherited and built the headquarters of Tanchozuru in Japan.

Faisal had taken care to keep a majority of company ownership while raising funds on the stock market. It hadn't been easy. He was not someone who enjoyed losing control.  
Yet, he had been forced to give up all control over his lives work a few years ago, in order to protect his wife.  
Being submitted to the same treatment he had to undergo back then filled him with impotent rage.  
But what he had seen intrigued him. Tremendously.

"Who do you think you are talking to?" He growled at last. "The kind of growth you propose is impossible in such a short time. Furthermore, what you are planning involves several crimes."

"We doubt that would hold you back," Hoka replied and grinned at the big man in the blue polo shirt and the white pants as he crossed his legs, leaning against the wall.

The wallop of Mr. Osdemir's fist hitting the table shook every one of the powerful men sitting at it. But Hoka remained unfazed.

"I don't care who or what you people are. Watch how you talk to me or you can look for another business partner," Faisal threatened as he sat up.

"I apologize," Hoka bowed. "But we came to you because your company is exactly what we need.  
As I already proved to you, everyone at ShelteR Inc is determined to invest a lot of money in Tanchozuru. And by employing the method I openly explained to you, the government will soon support us in everything we do.  
I promise you: the growth rate we calculated will be met and exceeded with every company that joins us. And once we have reached our objective it will be business as usual for everyone. But we will live in a better world, and you will all have made a lot of money. So for a little trust and a temporary loss of authority, this deal will garner you a lot of profit and a front seat during this journey to a new world whenever you choose to join us."

As always when he was thinking on important matters Faisal fondled the 24-carat golden griffin pin attached to his breast pocket which his wife, Esmeral, had bought him in remembrance of the eagle and tiger he had once owned back when they still lived in St. Petersburg.

This Hoka was making a lot of big promises. But what he had seen intrigued Faisal.  
The robust Turk had always been a practical though ambitious man. But lately, there had been a restlessness within him. A desire for some new challenge. A new possibility.  
He knew the man in front of him was holding back crucial information. Or else he was being naive.  
Because between what Hoka Inumuta had told Faisal and the board of directors of Tanchozuru tea company and what he had shown them lay a serious gap.  
A gap of possibilities. Heaps of possibilities.  
And Faisal was determined to exploit any of those possibilities if it lay within his power.

Most of all, this alliance might finally deliver him from tyranny. He could only end up exchanging one tyrant for another, but if he played his cards right he might play them out against one another.

The largest stockholder of Tanchozuru tea company brought the fingers of his right hand from the golden pin attached to his breast pocket to the table-top.

"Alright," He at last said, returning the grin of the young man in the grey suit.  
"we will discuss this matter among us and let you know of our decision shortly..."

They would not have to discuss for long. The board of directors ate out of his hand.

"But first there are some questions I would like to ask that young woman we just had the video conference with."

"If you have any more questions I will gladly answer them," Hoka said as he walked closer to the table.

"No. Thank you," The large thuggish man in front of him squinted. "There are a couple of things I think she would be more fit to answer."

* * *

The cicadas where chirping joyfully as the sun set down over the grey paneled two-story house owned by Akko's parents five days later.  
The three friends of the boisterous Japanese witch had relished all that the land of the rising sun had to offer in the first two weeks of their summer holiday. Now they were enjoying a lazy summer evening at home.

With Model 500's Sonic Sunset album gently humming in the background, Reiko and Ichiro were seated in the sofa facing the multimedia furniture, wearing a light-blue linen vest and white short skirt and a grey shirt with white linen short slacks respectively. Diana and Akko shared the sofa opposite the cabinet of sounds and sights, and Sucy sat facing them while reading a book on horizontal gene transfer.

"So how have you girls adapted to having your triumvirates broken and mixed up for your second year in Luna Nova?" Ichiro asked during a lull in the leisurely conversation.

Diana and Akko turned to each other and their lips formed large grins of barely restrained amusement.

"It's been so much fun!" Akko exclaimed. "Diana taught me so much!  
Honestly, the teachers have forgotten how much fun magic can be," She sighed, crossing her arms. "You should really become a teacher when you graduate, Diana!" The brunette in the blue suspender jeans-dress over an orange t-shirt casually advised her friend for the hundredth time.

Diana just smiled happily at her friend's compliment and scratched her ear.  
"We'll see... My first priority is to save Cavendish Manor. But I would certainly like to return to Luna Nova or any other magic school as a teacher one day and serve the magic community by passing on what I learned."

"You sound like Mary," The young witch in the lavender dress on the other side of the low black walnut table grinned.  
"Whenever asked about her future she'd say she wants to emulate her mother and the person who taught her most about witchcraft as a child by serving the magic community and mother earth. Lately, it's starting to look more like she'll start a rock group with Filiz and Avery."

"Yeah!" Akko sat up boisterously in the brown vinyl sofa. "They were great at the closing ceremony party in the cafeteria. I didn't know Mary could play the guitar like that!"

"I'm surprised Principal Holbrooke allowed such a thing to be organized," Diana commented thoughtfully. "Miss Finnelan was outraged.  
But it was a very enjoyable performance. Filiz has a pleasant, resonant voice and she is an entertaining performer. And Avery also has a fine and beautiful voice, which was better suited to the more intimate songs. Mary and Jasminka were very good on the guitar and drums too. But what really surprised me was that Nela volunteered to play bass. She was very good at it though."

"Don't act so detached, you and Akko were dancing just as wild as any of Filiz's fangirls," Sucy grinned teasingly over the edge of her book at her friend. "I've seen you loosen up since last year, but I've never seen you quite as loose as that. Héhéhé..."

"I don't see what is peculiar about me enjoying a party..."

"Hey now Sucy!" Akko laughed. "I know Diana and me were having a good time at our summer break party, but we all saw how much the Luna Nova Princess who always grumbles about Hannah dressing her up actually loves playing mannequin."

Sucy glared at the winking brunette.

"What's this about?" Reiko grinned at Sucy with very intrigued eyes.

"You asked how we are getting along in our new groups?" Diana pointed out. "For the longest time, Hannah truly detested being grouped with Sucy and Constanze..."

"Yeah. One nerd is hanging over a Petri dish all day and the other is constantly tampering with her stupid robots is what she used to say!" Akko laughed while kicking her feet.

"I'm sorry, Sucy," Diana politely smirked while shifting her legs in her orange summer dress.  
"Hannah used to complain to me and Barbara all the time how the three of you have nothing in common and how Constanze and you didn't say a word all day.  
One time she told us how she had been standing with folded arms in the middle of the room with you immersed in your fungi on one side and Constanze on the other trying to improve the maneuverability of a drone while she exasperatedly and repeatedly asked how you enjoyed dinner and neither of you reacted.  
Honestly," The Brit huffed." We were getting quite worried about the three of you. And then all of a sudden the complaints stopped and since then you are all getting along like..."

Reiko and Ichiro watched the girl with the platinum-blonde hair to the right of them hold her chin between thumb and pointer finger, looking thoughtfully.

"Well... like Barbara's group, I suppose."

"Around the same time, we started seeing Sucy and Constanze with unusual hairstyles," Akko chuckled. "So we did some investigating, and eventually Constanze told Amanda how Hannah had decided that if her roommates were constantly at their hobbies she would geek out too.  
Her getting the feeling she was occasionally being used as a guinea pig might also have had something to do with it."

Akko's mother joined Sucy in her exuberant laughter as the brunette threw her friend a meaningful look.

"She started by doing their hair while they were working.  
While Sucy hissed at her and told her to quit it Constanze was actually quite pleased with her creations.  
So Hannah went a step further and started using cosmetics on them.  
When Sucy then regularly asked her to do her makeup Hannah knew the road was wide open to make her dream come true and she freely dressed her roommates up as if they were her personal mannequins," Diana continued the narrative with a smile.

"Ever since then, they've been getting along swimmingly. Constanze and Sucy even won the Prince and Princess of Luna Nova competition over Nela and Filiz thanks to Hannah," Akko laughed.

"Yes," Sucy said with a dreamy grin in the growing gloom of the room. "Sometimes two elements that don't connect can create a bond that is more than the sum of its parts when a third element glues them together."

Diana inhaled sharply and stared stupidly at the Filipino, a chill running through her body.

"What?" Her lavender-clad friend grimaced, feeling defensive because of the other girl's odd reaction.  
"Just because we get along doesn't mean I enjoy her fussing about me with hairpins and eyeliner when I'm experimenting."

"I'm sorry," The Brit in the sleeveless orange dress frowned with a ponderous look on her face. "I think I just remembered a dream I had."

"A dream?"

Diana turned her eyes on the woman in the light-blue linen vest and white short skirt sitting on the right side of the brown vinyl sofa to her left and saw Reiko grin mysteriously while leaning her chin on the hand of her right arm.

"Pray tell, Lady Cavendish."

Everyone was looking at her now.  
The music had stopped a few minutes ago and the only sound was that of the cicadas and an occasional car passing by, coming from the door to the small garden at the back of the house where Lotte was still sitting.  
All the details of her strange and ominous dream were beginning to surface now and Diana didn't know what to make of it all.

"I'm sorry," She said at last. "It was a rather confusing dream, and I would do best to study it before I can tell you anything useful."

The Brit's eyes were pulled to her right were Akko sat - their shoulders almost touching - gazing at her with a concerned expression.

"Well... I'll get the pitcher of oolong iced tea from the fridge and give everyone a refill since all of our glasses seem to be empty," Ichiro sighed as he got up from his wife's embrace and walked to the kitchen.

Akko saw her mother get up and - excusing herself - walk past her and a frowning Diana to the multimedia set.  
She waited until the woman had put the CD in its case and walked over to the book/CD case behind Sucy who was immersed in her book before leaning close to her friend and whispered:  
"Are you okay, Diana? That dream seems to have shaken you up a little."

The platinum-blonde young witch looked up from her lap to her now kindly smiling friend and felt her worries somewhat alleviated.  
"Don't worry," She smiled back. "I'm only intrigued, that's all."

"Well, when you properly remember your dream just tell us about it and we can practice our oneiromancy together. It'll be good exercise!" The brunette grinned.

"Hey there! You're not going to awaken the dead in my house are you?!" Reiko loudly challenged while leaning over a startled Sucy and pointing her finger at her daughter.

"Geez... I told you so many times, mother! " Akko sighed insolently. "Oneiromancy means dream divination! You're thinking of necromancy!"

"Good!" The woman in the light-blue linen vest and white short skirt smiled, walked over to the multimedia furniture with Hiroshima's East album in her hands and kneeled down in front of it. "No funny business. I've got my eyes on you witches."

"If we ever tried something like that we'd end up in prison!" Akko protested as her father, back from the kitchen, filled up their glasses.

"Not like you never did it before, right?" Reiko winked at her daughter as she passed her on her way back to the sofa opposite the beige multimedia furniture.

"Those were different times," Diana smiled to herself as she remembered the adventure with Principal Holbrooke's father Akko had told her about. "All of us are duly and regularly reminded of the power we hold in a world where we can wield our magic without limitations other than the ones set by our ability and laws.  
Since the opening of the Grand Triskellion, the Witches Council has been making sure all witches thoroughly understand the immense responsibility that comes with that power."

"So Akko's been telling us," Ichiro said as he filled his own glass last and stood upright between Sucy and the brown sofa occupied by his wife with the pitcher leaning in the palm of his left hand. "I'm relieved there are responsible people guarding the power born from mankind's hopes and dreams. Nobody wants magic to be abused."

"True," Reiko smiled. "But from what we hear, all girls at magic schools are very kind and responsible though prone to a little mischief occasionally..."

Diana saw the woman look from Akko to Sucy.

"...The world will be alright with them wielding that power when they become older and wiser."

The brunette's husband, standing behind her in his grey shirt and white linen short pants smiled lovingly at the three young witches in front of them.  
"I'm going to bring Lotte some more iced tea and see if she wants to join us."  
Akko's handsome father put a hand through his wavy black hair and turned around to walk to the back of the house.

"That's right! There's another one back there too. So many people. Ara! I love a filled house!" Reiko laughed. "When Akko gets married she'll just have to move in with her lover!"

"Alright dear," Ichiro nervously patted his wife's head while Akko cringed uncomfortably. "Calm down."

Diana saw him walk smoothly past the kitchen and the door to the downstairs toilet on his right before he disappeared through the open door at the back of the house.

"So, what about the other groups?" Reiko asked the young Brit before sipping her glass of iced tea.

"Well, Akko, Mary and I get along well. We study together a lot. And when Mary is hanging around Filiz, with whom she seems to get along very well..."

"Avery and Blair get a little jealous sometimes," Akko interrupted with a grin.

"... Or when she is practicing her guitar I tutor Akko."

"Mary has a lot of movies on DVD, so whenever we don't have anything to do the three of us kick back and watch a movie together."

Reiko smiled at her daughter who was leaning back in the sofa with her hands behind her head as she added that last bit of information.

"Often Blair, Lotte, Barbara, and Hannah will join us and Jasminka brings snacks for everyone. We have a great time in Diana's apartment," The brunette said, staring at the ceiling with a relaxed smile.

Akko blinked a few times as she remembered the small parties she had with her friends. Then an impulse made her look at Sucy who was grinning at her over the top edge of her book.  
"What are you looking at me like that for," The brunette asked her friend in a suspicious tone of voice.

"Héhéhé. Trust you to focus on the luxurious aspects of living with Diana, Akko. Mary tells me half of those little soirées come into life on your instigation. You've made a lot of progress this year, but shouldn't you work harder still? Filiz isn't the only first-year who is mastering spells you continue to struggle with."

The girl in the blue suspender jeans-dress over an orange T-shirt got out of her seat and walked over to her maligner.  
"For your information, I work very hard already, even if we have some fun once in a while!" She retorted angrily while leaning over Sucy before continuing her journey to the toilet.

"That's true," Diana agreed in an even, but decided voice. "Akko has nothing to worry about. I wouldn't stand for these get-togethers if I felt she wasn't steadily catching up with her peers. I guarantee that by the end of the schoolyear Akko's knowledge and ability as a witch will be above average among the second years."

"Well, I suppose you sticking to her like glue is bound to rub off on her," Sucy chuckled as she turned her attention back to her book.

Reiko happily pretended not to notice the orange-clad Brit's flustered visage while perusing the booklet of the CD they were listening to.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about," Diana attempted to reply in a restrained manner.

"Were all the rooms in your castle occupied? I thought you usually went home with Hannah and Barbara during summer break?" Sucy teased without looking up.

"W... Well, but... I... I couldn't let Akko fly all the way to Japan on her own! She still has trouble with her landings. You saw what happened!  
Besides... Akko invited me. Why wouldn't I come? There is absolutely nothing peculiar about the thing."

Akko's mother looked over her shoulder at the door to the downstairs toilet, whereunder she could she see the light being extinguished, and decided to steer the conversation to safer waters.  
It was clear to her that her daughter's feelings for her friend and roommate were passionately returned. But both girls were still young, so if neither of them was going to act on those feelings that was their business and she wasn't going to interfere... For now.

"So why is Lotte's group getting along so exceptionally well?" She asked while her daughter closed the door to the toilet behind her and walked round Sucy so she could seat herself next to her other friend again.

"Lotte and Barbara just naturally seem to get along," Akko simply stated as she sat down, placing her hands neatly beside herself. "And Jasminka says she loves their company and they share lots of laughs. Barbara has gotten Lotte to start writing their own series of novels together and Jasminka enjoys being their critic."

"We were present when they took turns reading a chapter aloud when they were promoting the publication of their first novelette. They write very well," Diana commented after sipping her iced tea and placing the glass back on the table. "Barbara told me they aim to become as popular as the Nightshade books."

"Yeah! Wangari did an article about the book-reading and they got a picture in the Luna Nova newspaper!" Akko added.

Her mother made a puzzled face while her father came back from the kitchen where he had placed the pitcher of oolong iced tea in the refrigerator and sat down next to his wife.

" Wangari... That's that girl from the newspaper? The one with the glasses, right?"Ichiro asked.

"I was just thinking..." His wife began, sitting forward and placing her hand on his.

"You must be thinking of Joanna. The photographer. Wangari is a witch from Kenya. She does most of the reporting and interviewing," Sucy informed them.

"She is in a group with Amanda and Sóla now, but she almost had to continue her education in Luna Negra.  
Her parents wanted her to get a basic education in European witchcraft and then go to a magic school with more expertise in divination and Asian and African traditions.  
Luna Negra Academia would have been an excellent choice. It is the most acclaimed magic school in the world next to Luna Nova and would still have been able to offer their daughter excellent courses in western magic while preparing her to inherit their business when they retire. Luna Negra is the only magic school in the world that offers courses in such a wide variety of magical traditions while obtaining a high level in all of them."

Diana paused her erudite exposition to drink from her glass of iced tea and continued immediately with everyone but Sucy engaged by her voice and gentle but confident gaze.

"I have actually been thinking of going there myself for my third year, but there are several things that keep me engaged closer to home and Luna Nova. That is the case for Wangari as well. She has made many friends at Luna Nova and..."

"But she also just doesn't want to inherit her parents' magic shop!" Akko interjected with an exasperated look.  
"The most important thing Wangari learned at Luna Nova - as far as she cares - is that she loves reporting the news! She wants to study journalism at university.  
So when after all of that back and forth with her parents they finally allowed her to continue her education at Luna Nova and we went to ask her how it went in her room back in February she exhaled deeply while lying on her bed and said she had won the first battle but she had a far more difficult one ahead of her.

I wouldn't have been able to understand her at all if she had told me she thinks magic isn't amazing. But I can certainly relate to her desire to follow her dreams!" The brunette continued as she sat forward, pumping both fists in front of her while her crimson eyes were dangerously ablaze. "So if I can ever help her I won't hesitate."

"Ow..." Ichiro muttered, sitting back while scratching his head. "Sounds like that girl's gonna have a tough time ahead of her."

Everyone was surprised by the sound of the wireless telephone that hung in a cream-colored encasement attached to the side of the wall of the kitchen's pass-through.

"I guess it's my turn," Reiko smiled as she stretched her arms and jumped up before walking to the phone.

Diana saw her friend's mother disappear around the corner of the wall that separated the dining/living room from the kitchen as she slipped the telephone from its encasement.

"Hello? Yes, that's righ... Andrew!" Reiko raised her voice in a pleasantly surprised, slightly teasing tone. "I was just sitting in our living room with your friends, wondering why you aren't here!"

Ichiro smiled indulgently while his daughter chuckled at her mother's little joke. Diana couldn't help smile, though a little bitterly, at how Andrew was good-humoredly being put on the spot by the woman that no doubt would one day become his mother-in-law.

The young Brit saw Reiko walk back toward them with the pitcher of oolong iced tea in her right hand, a packet of rice crackers under her armpit and the wireless telephone in her left hand.

"Don't worry, dear boy. Even though you are missed, we are having a wonderful time together."

"Come, let me take this," Ichiro said, taking the pitcher and snacks from his wife as she was about to sit down.

"So you're having fun in some ski resort without inviting me?... No," Reiko chuckled. "I suppose I wouldn't... Hmmm.  
My dear husband is here of course - so flirting is out of the question, you naughty boy. Then there's my daughter - but I know you don't want to talk to her - and my dear Lady Cavendish and my soulmate, Sucy. And that sweet girl with the hidden fire, Lotte is out in the garden at the moment...  
He says hello and hopes you are all having a good time," The woman in the light-blue linen vest and white short skirt said to her guests while she handed the telephone over to her daughter.

"Oh, hello Andrew!" Akko cheerfully greeted.

Diana pondered how similar mother and daughter were in terms of their energetic nature and appearance now Reiko was wearing her hair loose today.

The girl in the blue suspender jeans-dress over an orange t-shirt next to her was happily chatting away with their mutual friend.

"Diana and Lotte had a lot of fun at their first matsuri... Yeah. Hahaha! Diana caught no less than five fishes. But we gave them to some children who couldn't catch any... Yes. Hihi. She beat you... I remember... You swore I wouldn't get you to eat takoyaki, but you're glad you tried it, aren't you?... Hahaha! Yes, you are. I know you are... I'll put her trough."

Diana recoiled slightly as Akko leaned close to her and brought the phone to her ear.

"Here, Diana. He wants to talk to you. It's Andrew!" The brunette grinned.  
Her friend in the orange summer dress took the wireless telephone in her right hand and adjusted her position in the brown vinyl sofa.

"Hello, Andrew. It's nice to hear from you."

"Hello, Diana. It's nice to hear from you too. I hear you are enjoying yourselves?"

The witch with the long wavy platinum-blonde hair noticed her fellow countryman was in exceptionally high spirits.  
"Yes," She smiled. "Akko's parents are very kind. We feel very relaxed and welcome here.  
Akko herself has been showing us around the neighborhood and taking us to all kinds of wonderful shops and events. We are enjoying a summer vacation that will give us many long-lasting memories I'm sure."

"Yes. I'm sure you received a warm welcome," Andrew laughed. "You might get a harder time trying to leave.  
It's a good thing Akko's father is onto his wife's tricks most of the time. You can see where our friend gets her spirit from, don't you think?"

"Yes. You certainly can," Diana smiled, glancing from Reiko to Akko.

"I'm sure she's been towing you around to every place she can think of. We must have visited every stall at that matsuri she took us to when my father allowed her to come with us to Japan to visit her parents during spring break."

"That was very kind of you, Andrew."

"Not at all. My father was actually very impressed with what the two of you did. He really wanted to meet with Akko, but he was afraid he'd lose face if he visited Luna Nova for the purpose. It was very convenient for him to have me propose taking her along on our trip...

Say, Diana... I apologize for the abrupt request, but can you give Akko the telephone again. There was a particular reason I wanted to talk to her."

Diana could sense the warmth in Andrew's heart. He had received very good news or had great plans. And those plans seemed to involve Akko.  
The heart of the young witch twitched and Reiko thought that for a second she saw the Lady Cavendish who had so endeared herself to her look very miserable. But it must have been her imagination because Diana smiled brightly as she stated that Akko managed to convince even Andrew's father of the usefulness of magic while she handed over the telephone to the brunette next to her whose merriment was heightened more than usual by the compliment.

"What have the two of you been talking about, Andrew?" Akko asked with a slight blush on her averted face.  
"Huh? You do? You sound very excited, Andrew! I like that a lot! Héhéhé...  
Of course... You're making me very curious... " The Japanese witch commented, now suddenly intrigued and subdued while hugging the telephone to her right ear.

"Okay!"

Akko jumped up from the brown sofa she was sharing with Diana, looking ready for a party.

"I'm sorry everyone! Andrew wants to talk to me privately for a while, so I'll take the telephone up to my room! I'll try not to take too long."

Everyone but Sucy watched the daughter of the house skip joyfully up the stairs.  
Her sudden absence created an awkward and quiet atmosphere.

Ichiro opened the packet of rice crackers for everyone and Reiko refilled the glasses with iced tea.  
Diana quietly observed her friend in the frilled lavender dress who was more than ever immersed in her book.

Ichiro hemmed as he picked up the CD case of the album they were listening to, prompting their British guest to reach for a cracker.

"Aaaah!" Reiko stretched and got up from the sofa. "It's getting late, isn't it? I think I better fill the bath-tub for our guests."

The brunette walked around the sofa to the stairs with a big smile on her face.

"Dear..." Her husband began as she began her ascent.

Upstairs, the door to Akko's room was opened and the young witch called out: "Mother? Can you delay "filling the bathtub" until I finished my phone call with Andrew?! It gets a little hard to have a conversation when the water is running in the next room!"

Reiko halted in her steps with a grimace and turned back to the sofa.

"Alright, Akko! Let us know when you're ready."

"She can't blame me for trying, " The woman sighed as she sat down in the sofa again and her grinning husband slid his arm around her waist.  
"Hey, did you fill up the car when you went shopping?" He asked.

Reiko took a rice cracker in her right hand and before she comfortably munched on it said she hadn't.

"What?" The black-haired man in the grey shirt and white linen short pants next to her sighed in frustration. "I told you we need to..."

Ichiro saw the smirk on his wife's face as she munched and pushed the pointer finger of his left hand into her cheek.  
"You loon," He smiled. "We'll need a full tank for our visit to grandmother tomorrow..."

With Akko upstairs, her parents planning, and Sucy reading, Diana fell to pondering her dream.

Meifa, the Black Princess/Shrine maiden of salvation. She wondered if Meifa had been joking when she called herself that. The gigantic woman looked like she was prone to jokes.

But what did she mean when she said Diana had visited her when her mother died? The Brit didn't remember any of that.  
Who was Meifa to her after all that she would instinctively go to her after such a heartbreaking loss?

Diana felt nature call and got up. She quietly walked to the downstairs toilet, opened the door, pulled down her panties and sat down. Her eyes wandered to the cute toilet scrubber in strawberry colors standing in the corner.

She could ask aunt Daryl about Meifa. Maybe she will remember if anything peculiar happened around the time her sister died. Or perhaps Miss Finnelan knows something.  
In any case, no matter how happy Diana was feeling being here with Akko, part of her was anxious to get back to Luna Nova and search the library for anything that might shed light on the matter.

When she finished her business she got up and pulled her panties up as the toilet flushed.

Something was going to happen.  
According to Meifa, two things had happened that had set events in motion towards some future Diana might have reason to dread. Two things which Diana's intuition had picked up on and had sent her psyche in such a panic that she subconsciously fled to a place she had visited during the greatest crisis of her life.

She had to find out what was going to unfold before it did and learn what could be done to stop it if needs be.

A faint sound alerted the young witch that her legs had brought her to the backyard door while her mind was occupied.  
She changed her bunny-slippers for a pair of purple crocs and walked outside.

The platinum-blonde Brit approached Lotte, who was sitting in a wooden garden chair to the right of a small plum tree with her back to her friend. The Fin was watching something on her smartphone, and as she came closer in her present muddled state, what she couldn't help seeing on that smartphone elicited a sudden, confused and indiscrete question from Diana.

"Lotte...? Why do you have a picture of Barbara in her...?"

"Diana?!" "Haaa!"

"It's not a picture?!" The Brit exclaimed in fright as she jumped back upon seeing her friend hurriedly cover herself on the screen of the smartphone before Lotte fell from her chair with a horrified look on her flustered face.

"Don't sneak up on people like that!" She heard Barbara whine.

"I'm sorry!" Diana exclaimed, still clutching her heart. "I'm really sorry, Barbara! I'm sorry, Lotte!"

"W... we w... were just t... t... talking... Barbara w... was going to b... bed..." Lotte stuttered as she picked up her phone.

"I was only acting out a scene for our story! This is nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"Ah... No. I suppose it isn't," Diana gently agreed.

Lotte observed her friend who blinked at the chair the Fin had been sitting in and grew calm thanks to the platinum-blonde's detached reaction.

"Are you alright, Diana?" Barbara asked in a concerned tone.

"You seem out of sorts. Did something happen?" Lotte joined her as she got up and wiped her blue suspender dress with the smiling moon pattern.

"Huh?" Diana reacted and watched the frown shared by both of the witches she had just startled as Lotte held her smartphone up for Barbara's convenience.

"Ah, I'm sorry for causing you to worry," She sighed and flipped her hair with an annoyed look. "I do have something on my mind, but it's nothing of importance. It is only a magical conundrum that has my mind occupied. Nothing more," She lied.

"Maybe we can help?" Lotte kindly offered while turning her smartphone around and showing her roommate an affectionate smile.

"Yeah!" Barbara smiled enthusiastically back as she stood with folded arms in a dark teal bathrobe in front of her laptop. "We'll work on it together. Like we used to when we were roommates. But now we'll have Lotte to help us."

Diana cheered up at the kind offer.  
"Thank you," She smiled. "But I'm afraid it's a matter of honor to me to solve this particular problem on my own."

"You see what I mean, don't you?" Barbara sighed, addressing her roommate with a fatigued look. "Diana's one flaw is her inability to ask others for help."

Lotte looked nervously from the blackette to the girl in front of her and back. "I... I don't think..." She started haltingly.

"She is perfect in every other way," Barbara continued, smiling with her hands clasped together. "But it's much nicer to live with someone who doesn't want to do everything on their own."

Lotte smiled at the girl with the sly grin on the screen of her smartphone, her cheeks slightly tinted.

"Puh," Diana huffed.

"But Diana does let Akko help her with things occasionally," The girl in the blue dress with the moon pattern piped up. "So she got better at accepting help."

"That's true," Barbara agreed. "Thank God for Akko.  
I never thought I'd say that more than once," She added quietly. "... Ah, that must be her now."

Diana and Lotte looked towards the door as rapid thuds were heard coming towards them.

"Akko! Be careful with the phone!" They heard Ichiro call.

The three witches heard a series of loud clicks and soft thuds before their friend came out of the house and landed on the small mosaic garden path in a pair of yellow crocs.

"Hey, guys! I'm sorry Andrew couldn't talk to you anymore!  
He... He was busy..." The brunette grinned mysteriously.  
"You made quite a noise just now! I could hear you in my room! You have to be soft outside in the evenings, you know? My parents could get complaints if we're too noisy."

Lotte and Diana shared a look and as Barbara started to giggle they both joined in.

"What?" Akko blinked. "What's so funny?"

* * *

"Nothing."

Tsumugu placed the empty white sake cup back on the decorated bamboo tray right way up and ponderously regarded the two remaining upturned cups.

"Only two more options," His lover smiled easily as he filled the previous cup from the white ceramic tumbler with two blue cranes as decoration.

"You are too good at this game," The man with the red mohawk muttered pensively.

"I know," Aikuro smiled, putting his right hand through his wavy blue hair and leisurely leaning his arm on the shiny varnished oak counter of the Big Instrumental bar. "You are simply dazzled by my good looks. Not to mention my nimble hands."

"Pick-up lines aren't his strong suit. Are they?" Yuyo, the slender and stylish blonde bartender quipped while cleaning the glasses.

"No," Tsumugu answered without breaking his concentration. "It's more about the delivery than the content."

The man sitting opposite from him on the same side of the counter rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers on the counter.

"This one." Tsumugu finally turned over the right-hand sake cup with his right hand, revealing a beautiful little orange felt chrysanthemum.

"Well done," Aikuro commented, sitting up and pulling on the front of his light-blue sleeveless shirt.  
While his colleague poured the three cups of sake he had filled into his throat one by one the brown wooden door from the entrance hall opened onto the long narrow bar and a young woman in jeans shorts and a Dr. Pepper T-shirt walked in.

"Hello, Ryuko!" The flamboyant scientist called.

Tsumugu poured down his second cup of sake and looked over his shoulder as their female friend took off her sunglasses and slipped them over the collar of her shirt.

"Are you trying to get Tsumugu drunk so you can have your way with him?" The blackette deadpanned as she took a barstool and sat down in between her friends.

The man in the black pants and the dark-grey T-shirt drank his last sake and wiped his lips.  
"We're celebrating," He said. "Have anything you like on us."

"Why would I need to get him drunk? You got turned on by me the moment you opened the door. And you think I'm annoying. Tsumugu thinks I'm irresistible."

Ryuko watched the blue-haired man who looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and an absurdly serious expression.  
"Don't talk nonsense with such a serious face," She sighed. "Hello, Yuyo."

"Hello, Miss Matoi. I hope you are doing well," The tall blonde in the striking white costume behind the counter greeted with a disarming smile. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, thank you. Let's see... Anything I like, huh. Can we get a bottle of Hanatomoe Sugi?"

"Certainly," Yuyo bowed and opened the fridge under the counter.

"I guess we're really celebrating now," Tsumugu grinned at Ryuko while the bartender placed their new bottle of sake with three glasses on the shiny counter.

"What are you celebrating anyway?"

Tsumugu and his partner shared a look.

"We made a great breakthrough in our research," Aikuro smiled.

"Yes. This problem had us stuck for months, but we finally found a solution which coincidentally allows us to... enhance certain features."

Ryuko calmly observed her friend with the mohawk while sipping her sake.  
"Hmhm," She smirked as she placed her glass on the table and crossed her arms. "So what are you working on?"

"I'm sorry." "We can't tell you," Aikuro grimaced.

"Riiight... You probably don't remember that you already pretty much told me your company is building battle mech suits for the government."

The two men frowned and their eyes swerved from the grinning Ryuko and Yuyo to each other.

"Whatever you believe is fine," Tsumugu muttered as he sipped from his glass.

"I've been getting that a lot lately," The young woman in the Dr. Pepper T-shirt commented.

An old enka song played on the radio while the trio sat in silence and Yuyo finished drying the glasses she had washed.

"Hey, I saw your sister on television yesterday evening. She was going to have a conference with the prime minister of euh... France, wasn't it?" The young bartender with the long curled hair asked Ryuko.

"Ah yes!" Tsumugu exclaimed. "How are things going with the Root Of Origin project?"

"Pretty good actually," Ryuko smiled. "They have been visiting Asian and European companies and leaders mostly so far. The investment proposal they developed has garnered a lot of attention."

"Sounds promising," Aikuro smiled while he scratched his ankle underneath the black cotton pants he was wearing.

"It's more than promising," His female friend grimaced. "It's actually really weird how responsive everyone they've talked to is."

"After restructuring the Kiryuin conglomerate into ShelteR Inc. it remains a very powerful company," Tsumugu explained. "With that kind of financial security behind them and a sound plan that promises an enviable return on investment I can see why people would be interested in joining the Root Of Origin project."

"Yeah. But you'd expect those big shots to show a big grin for the camera, tell you they care about the future of African youth and have endless meetings before they carefully make a small investment. I mean... That's the way these things normally go, don't they?"

"They don't?" Yuyo frowned while the short blackette in front of her savored her expensive sake.

"well, they seemed to at first. Then after the first week of Satsuki and Rei's visits, the foundation started getting contacted by all of the people they talked to. Hoka told me companies and state leaders that at first seemed very unresponsive have all contacted the foundation too. All of them wanting to join in the investment project. It's a massive success. Satsuki and Rei never anticipated something like this."

"It seems the foundation will have no problem obtaining its objectives," Aikuro whistled. "You can count on your sister to inspire people with a holy zeal. Where once the Kiryuin fortune nearly doomed mankind it'll now change the world for the better."

"I'll drink to that," Tsumugu said, downing his glass and filling it up again.

"Hey, watch it!" Ryuko exclaimed with a startled expression. "You've been going at it since before I got here."

"Why are you worried about him? I'm the one who's going to have to bring get him to the apartment later on," Her blue-haired friend sighed while he languidly draped himself over the shiny bar-counter. "Unless a certain someone comes with us and lends me a superpowered hand?"

"Let me give you two useful pieces of information..."

"You had too much to drink, Mr. Kinagase. I'm pouring you a nice glass of amazake to sober you up," Yuyo smiled as her beefy customer leaned over Ryuko and waved a finger at his lover.

"First: Don't assume I'm helpless when I'm drunk. I can get myself home just fine."

"Sure you can, Tsu," Aikuro smiled indulgently while leaning back into the bar.

"Second: Don't assume I'm drunk. It'll take a lot more than eight shots of cheap happy hour sake..."

"We don't serve "cheap happy hour sake" to our customers."

"...and a glass of Hanatomoe Sugi to get me drunk. "

As the gentle white-clad bartender of the Big Instrumental gracefully poured the grainy white amazake from a translucent bottle into a glass for Tsumugu the man with the mohawk slowly sat back.

"Anyway," Ryuko dryly continued. "Hoka told me that if things keep going like this he'll have projects running in Ethiopia and its neighbors before Satsuki and the others get back. Rei empowered him to handle setting up the first phase of the Root Of Origin project while she is busy dealing with the diplomatic side of things so that everything can run smoothly."

"What exactly is he setting up then?" Tsumugu asked, leaning his left arm on the counter and his right hand on his black-clad knee.

"I don't know."

Ryuko blew some air and leaned back while stretching her arms.

"I think he told me the foundation is sponsoring community-bonding projects in former war zones, funding local companies to improve and extend the road infrastructure and drastically improve public access to water. They are also starting negotiations between the companies who want to participate and local governments to set up local subsidiaries. But that is phase two I think.

During their research, Rei and Satsuki set up foundation subsidiaries that have already been busy organizing local SME federations to promote the creation of a network of small businesses and improve the distribution of goods.  
Those subsidiaries are also working with universities, hospitals and schools to improve infrastructure and bring locals who studied abroad back to share their knowledge.

It's really impressive what they've planned out," The blackette grinned. "I'm glad they're getting so much positive response."

"Yeah. Wow!" Yuyo laughed. "I'm getting excited just hearing of it."

"Poor Hoka just got himself a girlfriend and he's busier than ever," Ryuko laughed.

"That long thin weirdo finally got himself a lover?!" Aikuro exclaimed after taking a sip from his sake. "How did that happen? Hahaha!"

Ryuko and Tsumugu sweatdropped and shared a look while hiding their amusement.

"Yeah," The latter muttered, raising an eyebrow at his laughing boyfriend while leaning his head on his hand. "I wonder."

"She's a Filipino. She and her friends are witches. They're here to visit the parents of one of them.  
I thought they'd be trouble when I first met them, but I guess they're alright.  
Her name is Sucy and she's one classy girl," Ryuko laughed. "She already has Mr. Mankanshoku in her back pocket and Mataro rushes to the door every time someone calls just to get a chance to see her face.  
That's really convenient actually now Soroi is in Europe with my sister," She pondered aloud while her pointer finger to her chin.

"So Hoka got himself charmed by a witch," Aikuro grinned.

"Not to save his life... So sad" Yuyo muttered while shaking her head at the lame line. "And he's such a dashing man otherwise."

"Have you seen your new friends do any magic?"

Tsumugu raised his eyebrows at his lover's question and both men watched their friend in the white Dr. Pepper T-shirt intently.

"I heard they put on a little show for Satsuki, but that's it.  
Oh, but they flew us on their brooms a while ago. And one of them did some tricks after I treated them to a milkshake. She turned tomatoes we bought into oranges. She turned a rock into a rubber ball. That sort of thing...  
The other two had to reign her in eventually. She kept going at it," Ryuko grinned.  
"Oh yeah. She also changed my ears into rabbit ears for a while," She suddenly remembered with an annoyed look.

"Actual rabbit ears?" The man with the red mohawk to her left frowned.

"Oh yeah. They were real alright. It was very strange and rather upsetting."

"Wow! Imagine becoming friends with real-life witches!" Yuyo gaped.

"Yep. And no ordinary witches. Turns out they're the witches that stopped that nuclear missile from exploding over Fr..." "Cough! Cough!" "... a while back."

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Yuyo asked. "I couldn't hear over Mr. Kinagase's coughing."

"Well, a while back a war nearly erupted between Bri..." "Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! I'm sorry," The mohawked man in the grey shirt and the black pants said, holding up his right hand while averting his face. "... ce over a football match between their national teams. A missile was accidentally launched and these witches prevented it from exploding and probably saved hundred thousands of lives," Ryuko repeated.

Tsumugu and Aikuro looked impressed.

"Wow!" Yuyo sighed, staring at Ryuko with open mouth and her hands graciously resting on the counter. "I remember seeing that on television. It's a good thing witches with that kind of power don't have bad intentions."

"Well, you wouldn't have to worry if that was the case, dear Yuyo," Aikuro smiled confidently while extending his left arm towards the bartender in the spotless white tuxedo. "In case of alien or supernatural aggression Lightning Strike Robotics will be there to provide humanity with the weapons they need to... Aaaaai!"

The taser the tall blonde habitually kept under the counter quickly reduced the proudly erect form of LSR's CEO to a slumping heap that lay over the counter.  
"No man who doesn't know how to talk to a lady gets to act so familiarly with me," She pouted.

"If there were witches who are up to no good that might be a problem," Ryuko casually commented after drinking her glass of sake. "But Diana assured me the witch community is highly vigilant for the possibility of anyone abusing magic.  
There is an institution called the Witches Council that's very strict about the use of magic and makes sure anybody who breaks the rules receives the proper punishment."

"Ah. That sounds assuring," Yuyo smiled. "For now: Do you need another bottle of Hanatomoe Sugi? Or anything else before I start cleaning the refrigerators?"

Tsumugu lightly shook the sake bottle while his lover was starting to come to.

"I've had enough for now," Ryuko said. "I'll have a milk tea, Yuyo."

"Sapporo Yebisu for me, Yuyo and a Black Label for my boss over there," Tsumugu ordered with a quizzical look at the still recovering man in the light-blue shirt and black pants on the barstool to his right.

"Yeah..." The man with the red mohawk turned to his friend. "I heard about this Witches Council making all sorts of agreements with governments about law-enforcement among witches and all.  
Still... If one of those witches gets any bad ideas into her head she could cause a world of trouble. I'm not trying to be a scaremonger, but I hope we never see anything like that."

"Ah, Tsumungu. I wouldn't worry about it," Ryuko laughed as Yuyo poured her milk tea. "Those girls I met wouldn't harm a fly."

* * *

Abril Saez looked behind her in the darkness at the dry Castilian grasslands and the village of Ucero far below as she ascended the lonely road back to the country house of her parents still higher up the hills.  
Below and far to the left of her lay the large pine forest that stretched all the way to the next village. In the middle of the plain to the right was the old castle of Ucero.

The happily smiling green-haired girl was wearing white linen pants with a light-grey bolero over a cream-colored frilled shirt.  
She remembered the laughter and the memories she had shared with her friends from middle school in the cantina earlier that evening.

It was great that everyone had found time to meet up after she hadn't seen them for so long.  
She was relieved to learn Thiago was doing well in bachillerato. She had feared him slacking off.  
Vitoria had been full of jokes and anecdotes as usual. The get together wouldn't have been the same without her.  
And Michaela had finally confessed to Javier. It was wonderful to see them sit so lovey-dovey together.

One more week and she would be off to magic school again. But they had reserved a date to meet during winter break at the end of the year, so it wouldn't be a whole year before she saw them again like in her first year at the Lycée Des Atlantides at the French Atlantic coast.

She did miss them during the school year - even though they often talked on the phone - but it wasn't as if she didn't have her friends at the Lycée. Some of her fellow witchcraft students had come to be as close to her as the boys and girls she had grown up among these hills and plains with.

'Excuse me. Aren't you a witch?'

Abril stopped in her tracks. The telepathically transmitted voice had come unexpectedly.  
The greenette looked around her in surprise.

Other than the broom and juniper bushes that dotted the grassland around her and the rocks along the unpaved road there was nobody or nothing to be seen in the pale moonlight.  
She had certainly heard someone, however. Somebody had called out to her in the minotaur troll language.

The young witch pricked up her ears, but nothing could be heard but the chirping of crickets.  
At long last, she realized how stupid she was being.  
She didn't know what a minotaur troll could be doing all the way out here, but he certainly wouldn't show himself to any ordinary human.

'Yes,' She answered fluently. 'I am a second-year student at the Lycée Des Atlantides. Where are you? What are you doing here?'

'The Lycée Des Atlantides?! What luck! That's where I am supposed to go to!"

'That is luck,' Abril agreed. 'I can escort you. But how did you get here without an escort? Where are you?'

For a minute she could hear nothing but the crickets and an owl far away as she peered through the darkness around her.

'I am here... To your left, behind the shed.'

Abril looked ahead and took a few steps. Gradually she saw a road emerge from the darkness towards her left which she slowly followed.

A few meters further, after a hillside began rising up along the left of the road, she could discern a small shed to her right.

At about three meter distance she stopped and looked around.

'So, where are you?' She called.

A grunting noise came from the shed and slowly a small green minotaur troll in blue suspender trousers came from behind the shed.

'Hey, hello,' Abril smiled. 'Aren't you still young? What are you doing out here?'

'I am already 20 years old,' The troll telepathically replied with an annoyed grunt.  
'I saw existence in the Lyceo Aqueroca and was happy there helping out my elders. But about a month ago there was a request for trolls from the Lycée Des Atlantides.  
The headmistress told us she would like to be able to offer help since we are with so many minotaur and goat trolls at the Lyceo Aqueroca. So I and a few others volunteered out of curiosity for working in a new environment.  
One by one we were escorted to your school since the start of the summer break, but when I and my escort passed through this area she suddenly asked to wait for her here and walked off on an errand she said she had to perform in the woods.  
I don't know where she could be... And I don't know what to do... And I didn't want to search for help and scare humans or cause problems for the Lyceo. I am so relieved you found me.'

Abril came closer and caressed the shoulder of the distraught creature. He was really small. Only a head taller than her.

'That's right. I heard of the request for additional trolls. I was curious about them. Don't worry. I can keep you comfortably in the country house of my parents until we leave for the Lycée.'

'Yeah, but can we also search for my escort? I don't like to leave her without notice,' The exited minotaur troll pleaded.

'Well... Okay,' The young witch in the white summery pants and grey bolero shirt hesitatingly agreed.

'She started off in that direction.'

Abril saw the minotaur troll point further down the path they were on in the direction of the woods.

'Alright. We will look for her together. But first, what is your name?'

'Oh!' The green-skinned creature exclaimed telepathically while rubbing the back of its head. 'My name is Urraco. My escort is called Arama Elizondo.'

'Hmm... My name is Abril Saez. I am pleased to meet you.'

* * *

A little while later Abril and Urraco were carefully walking side by side through the forest.  
The foliage wasn't close and allowed for some moonlight to pass through, but the sounds of crickets had been replaced by birds rustling among the leaves and rodents scuttling on the ground.

'We have received so many first-year students at the Lycée this year,' Abril observed as they walked. 'It is all the result of those students of Luna Nova managing to revive Ygdrassil. It is quite wonderful, don't you think?'

'Yes. It has opened up a lot of new possibilities. And a lot more of us have seen life since then,' Her blue-clad companion agreed.

'With so many new witchcraft students coming in from all around the world, magic schools obviously need a lot of helping hands. I have noticed how overtaxed the trolls and goblins have been at the Lycée Des Atlantides. They will be happy with so many new friends to help them,' Abril told her companion before she halted to disengage the branch of a low shrub that got entangled in her white linen pants.

'Yeah...' Urraco smiled down on her. 'I look forward to working with the trolls in your school.'

As they passed through the forest they came to an open spot about fifteen meters across where a small encampment had been built by means of gathered tree branches over a sloping hollow in the earth.

'This brings back memories,' Abril smiled. 'I built this encampment with my friends when we went to school here together. We had lots of fun in those days.'

'You built this?' Her companion asked with a grunt while looking over the children's fort. 'You're skillful.'

'Thank you.'

Abril put her hands to her mouth and yelled as they had done at regular intervals during their search.

"Arama! I am a witch who lives nearby! Urraco asked my help to find you!"

Urraco bellowed plaintively after she called.

They waited for about two minutes and called again.

"Arama! My name is Abril Saez! I am a witch who lives nearby! Arama! Urraco is with me! Where are you?!"

After Urraco bellowed another couple of times they listened intently.

Abril saw the moon re-appear from behind the clouds. It was very quiet out. A breeze rustled through the foliage of the trees up above.

"Urraco?" The young witch with the long flowing green hair suddenly spoke. "You aren't really a minotaur troll are you?"

Abril turned and looked her surprised companion in the eyes.

"I apologize for being blunt," She smiled kindly. "But I am aware that you are using metamorphosis magic to disguise your true form. As you should know, The Lycée Atlantique specializes in magic linguistics.  
It has been a lifelong dream of mine to follow in the footsteps of my grandmother and become an intermediary for trolls at one of the European schools for witchcraft.  
I can find little fault with your language, but from the beginning, I noticed that your accent is all over the place.  
I respect your desire to hide your true form for whatever reason and I assure you I can be trusted. So I hope you will trust me with the real reason why you want me to come with you."

Urraco blinked and scratched his ear.

"You are curious..." The green troll spoke in a gruff voice. "I was starting to doubt asking what I came here for since you came along with me so easily. But you surprise me with your shrewdness... I wonder in how far you can keep surprising me..."

Abril watched the creature in front of her ponder something gravely.

"The real reason..." Urraco seemed to smirk for a second and then turned serious. "It's... No. I shouldn't ask... We would both get in trouble if we were found out," The creature muttered.

Abril watched the dejected expression on the features of the diminutive green horned troll.  
"Never mind that. Nobody will ever know. I won't tell. You don't have to be shy with me," She smiled encouragingly.

Urraco grimaced.

"You see..." The creature in the blue overall started. "What I wanted to ask you to do is actually a misdemeanor according to the Witches Council.  
I do understand why that is of course. But I don't find much challenge in my own school.  
I am a first-year magic student. I live nearby and I went flying on my broom for a while when I remembered I heard a witch from the Lycée Des Atlantides lived hereabouts and a bold idea formed in my mind... But I cannot ask you to engage in criminal activities. I am sorry to have bothered you as it is."

Urraco moved to go back the way they had come. But Abril grabbed his right hand in her left.

"Honestly..." She smiled up at the creature. "If it doesn't hurt anyone I might humor you. And even if I am appalled by your question I would not say a word to anyone. Though I might plead to you never to attempt such a thing again."

"You are too kind," Urraco grimaced.

He took some distance from Abril and conjured up a magic wand, transforming it into a shiny white energy saber almost instantly.

"I have been wanting a challenging opponent for so long," Urraco said. "Nobody at my school is very good. And the wait for the European inter-high competition in October is so very long. I heard you are very good..."

Abril's face brightened up like a child on Christmas morning.

"Oh! I completely agree! I wish there were more fencing competitions between the witchcraft schools.  
The teachers keep saying we shouldn't engage in frivolous pass-times unbecoming a witch. But they do promote broom competitions! And lightsaber fencing is so much fun!  
I hear there are very talented girls in some of the Asian and American schools. There are three girls in Africa who are at a very high level, and there is Emma Thomas at Luna Negra of course. But we are never going to get a chance to just have an assault with them."

"It's frustrating, isn't it," Urraco grinned. "I have appealed to the principal to ask the Witches Council if it would be possible to organize occasional meetings every month or so. But I have had no news about it. I was sitting home a few days ago and got this idea in my head to ask you for a bout after hearing from a friend at school how good you are. I didn't have the courage at first. But I couldn't get the idea out of my head... "

"You are looking at the champion of the Lycée Des Atlantides!" Abril exclaimed as she conjured up her magic wand and changed it into a green energy saber. "I would love to have a bout right now!"

"I remain hopeful, seeing you eager to commit a crime," Urraco said with a hesitant smile.

"A crime? Oh... But this is only a misdemeanor. And nobody will be hurt by it."

The minotaur troll's smile widened as he heard his companion talk.

"One of us might get hurt," He said while the call of an owl could be heard nearby.

"What? Not if we conjure up magic lamés for ourselves. You must be a first-year student if we haven't had a bout before?" Abril excitedly talked. "I hope you're really good. It would be great if we could both participate in the global competition. I hope I can have another bout with Emma Thomas next year. She's so cool. I'm sure I will be more of a challenge to her than last year. Hihi.  
Ahem... En-Garde. Ooh... I forgot our magic lamés."

"Abril, what might make you shed another being's blood?"

The greenette paused just as she was about to conjure her protective clothing for the bout.  
"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked confusedly.

Urraco frowned.  
"It's a simple enough question, isn't it?" He returned. "The truth is that what I had in mind is something more exciting than a bout.  
What I want from you, Abril Saez, is a duel. A fight to the death without rules or pity."

"What?! What are you saying?!"

"You showed me shrewdness and willingness to bend the rules. I was told you are an exceptional fencer. You have the potential to give me the fight I'm looking for. I won't take no for an answer now, Abril."

The panicking young green-haired witch saw the nearly two-meter tall green creature in front of her adopt the en garde position.  
"Nonono! I didn't agree with something like that! Let's just part ways and forget about this!" She yelled.

"Not a chance. You got my hopes up!" Urraco laughed at the Spaniard.  
"You better give it all you got, Abril. Use every skill and all the cunning you are master of, because I will kill you if you don't.  
This fight will only end with you dead or me incapacitated if you don't wish to murder me!  
But know that I will show no mercy! And before you think of teleporting away from here: Motus Currale!"

"That... That isn't a spell a first year should be able to master!" Abril exclaimed in terror as she realized her only way out of this nightmare was being taken away by the magical barrier Urraco had just created around the forest.  
She could negate the spell of course, but that would take time. And she knew Urraco would only cast the spell again before she could teleport.

"Please, Urraco! We could just have a bout! I promise I will fight you as if we were competing in the Global Inter High finals!" She pleaded as she backed away to where the trees grew closer together.

"Don't mistake me anymore, Abril. I was never looking for a fencing match. This is a fight to the death! I am done explaining! Defend your life by taking mine! Gravitaes Ventures!"

The greenette was aware of a sudden rush of air behind her and jumped up, realizing her opponent had uprooted a tree and sent it flying towards her.

She nimbly landed on the pine tree and jumped onto a high branch of one of the trees bordering the hilly glade they were in.

"Please reconsider this, Urraco!"

"Vega Walras!"

The green troll used the leg strengthening spell to jump up into the tree next to Abril and cut off the branch she stood on, sending the greenette tumbling down.

Abril landed in a crouching position and jumped up and two meters backward as Urraco landed in front of her.

The troll immediately lunged at her, but Abril moved underneath his attack and forced the creature back with a swipe from her saber.

Then she conjured several vines from the earth that attempted to entangle Urraco.

Abril prepared to run, but her assailant sliced all of the vines with his saber and thrust it into the ground to annul the spell.

"Gravitaes Ventures!" The young witch in the white linen pants and the light-grey bolero yelled.

Several trees were uprooted and came at Urraco from all directions, but the creature cast a protective barrier around himself before the trees encased him.

Then Abril turned around, closed her eyes, lifted her right hand brandishing her energy saber up in front of her face and crossed her forearm with her left arm.

"Ygdrassil! Great heavenly tree of life! Keeper of all of our hopes and dreams..."

"Gravitaes Ventures!"

With a blast, all the trees that had been holding Urraco captive came flying at Abril, interrupting her incantation.

The young witch turned around quickly, her long loose hair trailing behind her and held her left hand before her.  
"Murowa!" She exclaimed, causing a powerful heat blast that instantly incinerated the pines.

Out of the blast, Urraco came right at her. With a swiping motion, the duelists' sabers struck each other violently.

"You are impressive, Abril. I have not felt so alive in years. I knew I would find someone as exciting as you if I went to magic school."

Abril gritted her teeth as she watched the elated smile on the face of her assailant while parrying his fast and powerful attacks.  
"Stop this!" She protested. "We can have a fight just like this without trying to kill each other!"

"Ah... But that's where you are wrong, dear Abril. You see, I only recently experienced the thrill of killing a human being for the first time, and let me tell you..." Urraco laughed as he jumped to his right in order to avoid a swipe to his shoulder from his opponent. "No fight can measure up to one where you are fighting for your life.  
What is more: with all of you witches being so righteous and proper you need a compelling incentive to get you to turn feral."

Abril parried a lunge from the troll and forced him back with a swipe to the midsection.

"But I think you are still not taking this fight seriously, so I am going to give you fair warning that I am about to fight dirty!"

In an instant, Abril saw the minotaur troll with the blue overall disappear from sight.  
She jumped three meters to her left, pinched her eyes shut, and held her left arm high while yelling: "Fus Fulgeis!"

With a loud fizzling sound a bright flash of light illuminated the glade brighter than the sun.

Abril jumped high up onto the branch of a pine tree while she heard Urraco exclaim: "Aaah! How clever to try and blind me."

The greenette half suspected the outburst to be a tactic to draw her attention to the place she heard it come from while Urraco quietly moved about so as to surprise her, but she stayed where she was and protected her eyes from the dissipating light with her left hand.

Keeping absolutely still, Abril tried to think of a way to negate Urraco's advantage while listening for his movement.  
Being invisible to her, Urraco could attack her without notice if he was silent enough.

The young witch couldn't try to use the spell she had learned at the lycée to negate magic like this, because the lengthy incantation would alert Urraco to her location and it would distract her so he could attack.

She needed time to think. But in the meantime, her earlier action put it into her head to try and alert the people of Ucero or her parents and their neighbors that something was going on in the pine forest that warranted investigation.

As Abril formed her plan she heard a movement through the air to the right of her. She swiped with her saber in the direction of the attack and jumped high into the air while holding her left hand up, conjuring another bright flash in the sky.

Hoping the fizzling sound of the flash would mask the noise of her landing she hopped on a branch on the other side of the glade and then another, five trees further.

"That is a very sneaky way to try and get people's attention! But I will not give you another opportunity. Stop trying to get out of this fight!" Urraco called from somewhere on the other side of the glade.

Abril saw the stars and moon disappear from the left to her right and realized her opponent had conjured a darkened dome around the forest.  
But that allowed her to take away Urraco's advantage as well if her guess was right.

"Obumbre Incaen Lumares!"

The incantation made the light that came through the dome bounce off every object in a way that created a grey aura around them.

"You certainly are very ingenious, yeah..." The shape of Urraco laughed in a tree opposite her. "But I am growing tired of your attempts to get out of this fight. That's why I am going to give you another incentive."

Abril watched her assailant with a determined grimace. She had the feeling there was some good deep down whomever Urraco really was, but she was beginning to despair of being able to rationalize with her foe.  
Certainly, it seemed Urraco had already killed at least once before. And the greenette strongly suspected he had killed at least one more time for the pleasure he seemed to find in the act.  
Maybe her only way out of this, after all, was by trying to incapacitate Urraco.

"If you don't try to fight me seriously I will go to your home once I have killed you and I will murder both of your parents!"

Abril's blood froze in her body as she heard the threat.  
"Nooo!" She exclaimed in terror and anger. "That's not fair! You have no right to decide the rules of this fight one-sidedly! Leave my parents out of this! Isn't it enough if you rob them of their daughter?!"

The young Spaniard felt the blood now boil in her body as she heard the easy laughter of her assailant.

"What are you talking about, Abril? I am not deciding anything. I am merely telling you what I will do if you fail to fight me tooth and nail. If you win I will obviously be completely at your mercy, and I will fight with the suspicion that you will end my life in order to protect your loved ones.  
In fact, it is my ardent desire that you fight me with that intent!

So stop the threat that I am..." The grey shape of the minotaur troll said. "... and attack!"

Urraco instantly jumped towards the young witch and teleported to the tree behind Abril when he was halfway.

The Spaniard turned and parried the attack.  
Taking control of the momentum she swung her body backward and stepped onto another branch as she took a chance by slicing off the branch her opponent was landing on before teleporting to the ground.

As he came down, Urraco parried the attack waiting for him and used a heat blast spell to create distance between him and his opponent as he landed.

Abril absorbed the blast by holding out her hand and conjuring a Dark Nimbus shield. She immediately lunged at her opponent who teleported right behind her while he took a swipe at her head.

The greenette teleported three meters forward to the edge of the glade and turned.

"Gravitaes Ventures!"

With dazzling speed, an uprooted pine tree came flying at the young witch and crashed into the trees behind her as she jumped high and attacked the grinning creature below her with a heat blast spell before landing behind him.

Urraco, however, teleported to the position to his opponent's left to escape the blast and as they both arrived at their positions simultaneously they swiped at each other with their sabers, which clashed with a pale green flash.

As they exchanged strikes, trying to breach the other's defenses, Abril reflected on her assailant's talent as an energy saber fencer and a witch.

His disguise granted Urraco an advantage when it came to strength and reach, but it also made him a bigger target. And gradually the Spaniard grew aware that she had the advantage when it came to fencing.  
There was a small difference in ability, but it was there. If she could exploit it she might be able to save herself and bring Urraco before the Witches Council.

Suddenly the Spaniard was grabbed by several vines that Urraco had conjured from the earth.

Abril jumped up, entangled by the clingy creations and sliced them from her body by use of her energy saber. But at the same time, her duelist jumped high and attacked her with a powerful heat blasts spell.

Missing her by a hair the blast incinerated the vines as the greenette nimbly landed near the small hillock on the other side of which lay the hollow that was the site of the encampment she and her friends had built in their youth.

Urraco had landed five meters to her left earlier and teleported in front of her as soon as Abril set foot on the ground.

Swinging her body to the left Abril avoided a swipe at her body and forced Urraco back by forcing him to hastily parry a lunge at his right flank.

She followed up with a quick succession of lunges and swipes, determined to deny her opponent the time to think or react.

"You don't know how grateful I am for this fight, Abril!" Urraco exclaimed. "You are heavenly! Come at me harder!" The creature yelled, excitement in his eyes. "Leave me no opening!"

As fast as he stopped yelling, Urraco teleported behind Abril's right shoulder and forced her backward as the greenette in turn hastily turned and parried, getting the sleeve of her grey bolero singed in the process.

It was no good. The diminutive green horned troll was too good at adapting to the situation.  
If the Spanish witch was going to exploit their difference in ability she was going to have to do it in one sudden attack.

Urraco lunged again and Abril swung her body to the left as she parried the attack, ready to stab the troll through the shoulder.  
The minotaur troll, however, turned fast as lighting and parried her lunge.

The young witch was being forced back by a series of fast and viciously precise swipes.  
But a plan brewed inside of her:  
She remembered that they were moving towards a strangely shaped stray piece of exposed surface root that had served her and her friends as the make-believe valve for their water supply when they used to play there.

In the blink of an eye, Abril teleported two meters backward. Urraco jumped to meet her, but the greenette attacked with a lunge and as her blue-clad opponent parried she swiped at his legs, forcing him backward.

As calculated, Urraco stumbled back over the exposed root. As he did, Abril stabbed his arm with her saber making him drop his on the floor.

The troll quickly teleported to the other end of the glade as his opponent stooped to take possession of his weapon and revert it into a wand.  
Abril cautiously observed him from her position in the middle of the glade.

"Now I get to decide what happens. If I win nobody has to die, alright?!" She yelled. "But I have you at my mercy. So I want you to come with me and..."

"The fight is not over yet, Abril!"

The air was pushed out of the young Spaniard's lungs as the metalized branches that had formed the roof of her childhood encampment pierced her back.

Abril desperately tried to keep standing, but the pain was overwhelming and everything danced in front of her eyes.

"To think I scouted this entire area before I approached you, and still I missed that exposed root," She heard Urraco casually say. "Yeah... Nobody is perfect."

Abril tried to move her legs in order to balance herself, but she found they would not move forward. What is more: her arms would not move either. As if they were being held back by some invisible wall.  
Then as she felt herself sway back and forth she tried to adjust her stance in order to balance herself. That was possible, but she found there was no solid ground to put her foot down on.

She panicked and opened her mouth to yell, tasting earth.

Then she opened her eyes and realized she had fallen down already and was lying on her belly on the ground.

The grey misty shape of Urraco stood beside her and picked up his wand.

Abril's lay by her side, but her assailant didn't seem interested in it.  
With extreme effort, She moved her arms forward and pushed herself up on her elbows.

"Why...?" She sighed.

"Don't ask stupid questions! Because you weren't ruthless enough of course! You could have finished me off! You had the advantage! But no... You had to be merciful," The troll complained.

"Pl... Please Urr... Don't harm... Parents... It's not... Thei... Plea..."

"Why would I bother hurting your parents?" The troll huffed. "They're not witches. They couldn't fight me. Do you think I would go to the trouble to attack people I could kill with my hands tied? That would be utterly boring."

Abril couldn't see a thing. She couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed.  
"R...reall...?"

"I'm not a coward. I don't pick fights with people who cannot fight me back. That's pathetic."

"I... Knew... Please... Urr... Hos... Pi..."

"Bring you to a hospital? I'll do no such thing. You gave me the best fight I had in years, but ultimately you failed me! You can try to save yourself so that I can fight you again! And if you manage to survive you better not hesitate to take my life next time."

Abril couldn't find the energy to talk anymore. She struggled to breathe as she heard Urraco walk away from her.  
Her only hope was for someone to find her quickly.

The greenette slowly managed to roll onto her side and concentrated hard. She had to succeed before she lost consciousness.

If only someone had seen the flashes of light! If only someone would come and search the forest!

Abril gritted her teeth... And at last, she felt the metalized branches lodged into her body move painfully outward. The young witch gasped and wept as the projectiles left her body one by one.

As the last one fell from her bloody back into the dirt with a soft thud her arms became too tired to support her and she collapsed, resting on her chest with her left hand near her face and her upper right arm as a pillow.

Everything was silent. Urraco must be long gone.

Abril thought she could see the stars above again if she looked to her left, but she couldn't be certain. She still wasn't sure whether her eyes were open or closed.

If only someone would come.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	4. Chapter 4

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

Akko casually opened the door of the silver fridge freezer and looked inside. The empty spot where she had expected the pineapple sorbet she had found there when taking out a bag of frozen soybeans for dinner the day before furrowed her brow.

With a suspicious look on her face, she turned to look through the pass-through at her two friends who were sitting on a sofa each while reading quietly.  
"Hey! Does either of you know what happened to the pineapple sorbet in the freezer?" She asked, directing her eyes first at Lotte, who immediately looked up from her book.

"Pineapple sorbet?"

"Yeah. I really felt like having some after our swim today, but it's gone."

Lotte blinked and turned her eyes toward the silent Filipino witch sitting next to her before looking back at her host.  
"I don't know anything about pineapple sorbet, Akko. Maybe your parents ate it?"

"They ate a 2-liter tub amongst themselves?" The brunette frowned.

"That tub was mine. I bought it while shopping with your mother," Sucy, dressed in a long-sleeved violet shirt and a long navy-blue skirt, piped up without looking away from her book.

"Oh! Where did you put it? Can I get a few scoops, Sucy?" Akko asked as excitedly as a dog going for a walk.

"You can't. I ate it all while the three of you went swimming."

In keeping with her earlier behavior, the face of the Japanese witch now drooped like a sad puppy's.  
"You ate 2 liters of sorbet by yourself?" She whined at the back of her lavender-haired friend's head.

"I was hungry."

"YOU ate 2 liters of sorbet by yourself?"

"It was very good sorbet," Came the annoyed response.

"But that was a limited-edition flavor."

"I know. That's why I bought it."

Lotte watched the face of her friend, who already looked quite ruddy in her white blouse with a cherry stitched on the right breast-pocket and her orange linen shorts, heat up in frustration.

"Alright! I'm going to search every shop in town! I will have some of that pineapple sorbet before we go back to school!"

"Do what you like," Sucy carelessly replied from her position on the right seat of the sofa facing the multimedia furniture while reading her book.

Seeing her friend walk towards the door of the genkan, worried over the trouble an irrationally infuriated Akko might get herself in, Lotte put her book down on the black walnut low table in front of her, got up from the brown vinyl sofa in her blue linen short skirt and her white short-sleeved shirt with blue and teal vertical stripes, and followed the irate brunette outside.

Left on her own, Sucy watched her friends walk past the large window in front of her. She saw Akko talk excitedly, shaking her fist while Lotte looked on.

The elegant young witch slowly closed her book and rested it on her lap.

The entire house was silent.

Akko's parents wouldn't be home from work for at least two hours. Diana had gone to a nearby church, saying she wanted to meditate on her dream.

The Filipino put her book on the low table and got up from the sofa.

She ascended the stairs and went into Akko's bedroom where her bag with her books and clothes lay and the note she had written for her friends and Akko's parents, thanking them for the wonderful holiday she had been able to enjoy under their roof.

Sucy calmly strapped the bag over her shoulder and walked downstairs again.  
She got a piece of tape from a small cupboard underneath the dining room window and taped her note to the black walnut low table where her book lay which she put in her bag with the others.

At that moment the cellphone in the pocket of her navy-blue skirt rang. She took the cellphone in her right hand and pushed the button.

"Hello?..." A slight smile appeared on her face.

"Yes. I will be there in half an hour.  
I was held up because my friends came back earlier than expected, but a lucky coincidence involving a limited edition flavor sorbet got them out again ... I'm glad you enjoyed it ... Héhéhé. Well, who would sit at a meeting with the production managers of their new tea company casually eating a sorbet anyway?" Sucy sweated. "It's bad enough you do it in the ...  
What?... Yes ... We've known that for a while now. I understand that you want ... You what?! ..."

The young witch listened as her caller was saying things that after all they had been through lately began to make her legitimately nervous for the first time

"... I know we researched that, but it will be very difficult ... And I don't think Soroi will like it ...  
I know. But ... I know ...  
Were you always this pushy?!" Sucy suddenly testily exclaimed.

" ... Yes, yes. I know that's a stupid question  
... I appreciate that you are taking my feelings into consideration, but it's still operating without consent whether I join you or not ... I know it won't harm her, but ...  
Ugh...!" The lavender-haired young woman groaned. "Alright. We'll talk about it when I arrive. I'll see you in half an hour."

The stylish Filipino sighed as she ended the telephone call and pocketed her cellphone.

But even though her caller could be exasperating at times it was still worth it to be at the helm of all these exciting developments. Sucy grinned as she walked towards the cupboard at the back of the house and opposite the downstairs toilet and took out her broom.

She had never ever felt so alive or so happy. What had happened to her and they were doing was so wild ordinary people wouldn't even be able to grasp it.  
She wouldn't change places with anyone in the world.

The young witch walked out of the door to the backyard and sat on her broom.  
She was going to arrive at the Yamazaki tower much sooner than within the half-hour she had promised, they both knew that. But they respected each other's perversities like old friends.

The cappuccino from the cafeteria always made the day go smoother.

* * *

A few days later Lotte, Diana, and Akko, wearing their spotless Luna Nova uniforms, were sitting on their brooms in the same garden early Sunday morning saying goodbye to Reiko and Ichiro.

"We're really going now, mom!" The ardent Japanese witch said in a strict tone while her mother who was dressed in light-blue shorts and a white linen shirt with a pattern of yellow butterflies was hugging her without a sign of letting go any time soon.

"No! Not yet. I have to say goodbye to my dear Lotte and Lady Cavendish too," The woman exclaimed as she pounced on the platinum-blonde girl next to her.

"You already said goodbye to them four times, mom! Come on... We'll miss you too. You're embarrassing me."

"Goodbye, dear Lady Cavendish," Reiko gently spoke while kissing and hugging the young witch. "Please, take good care of Akko for me."

"Akko is becoming far more responsible these days," Diana smiled indulgently. "But I will continue to look out for her."

"Ah, Diana. You make it sound like I'm a little kid."

Lotte giggled at the whiny face her friend made until to her surprise she was glomped by Reiko in turn.

"Enjoy writing your novels, dear Lotte. Your first one was beautiful. Keep on the good work!"

"Tha... Thank you for finding our brooms for us. I will keep doing my best to become a better writer."

"Those brooms! What a bother it was to find them. Luckily I did eventually," Reiko laughed as she let go of Lotte's neck and backed up until her husband, who was wearing beige shorts and a green-and-white checkered short-sleeved shirt lay his left arm around her shoulders. "That silly Ichiro. What an idea to hi... stock your brooms under our bed."

"Yeah, what was I thinking?" Her loving husband sweated while at the same time he didn't feel very unhappy at the prospect of being alone with the woman who tickled him with her cute and flaky behavior and his arm with her ponytail.

The ponytail swayed to the left and as Ichiro turned his face his lips met those of the woman who had brought him his generous and passionate daughter who had changed the world.

"Yes. Well done catching mom, dad!" Akko smiled. "Lotte, Diana, let's go now we can!"

Under a series of I love you's, We'll miss you's, and fly safely's the three young witches slowly took off into the air, soaring higher and higher until they were out of sight.

As, after about ten minutes of flight, they approached the green glowing entrance of the ley line to Volch'ya Logovo Lyceum Diana smiled at the long face the brunette flying to her left was making.

"Surely you are not still sulking because of what I said to your mother, Akko? Or are you already missing your parents?"

"Huh?" Akko reacted as she was shaken out of her gloom.  
"No. That's not it. I'm just annoyed at Sucy for ditching us without so much as a word. We were talking to her right before we went out for that delicious sorbet..." The Japanese witch dreamily remembered. "...and she didn't say a word about her mother wanting her to come home for an urgent family business.  
We're her friends! She should be able to talk to us about these things!"

"You shouldn't shake your fist like that when you're riding a broom, Akko," Lotte worriedly observed as they entered the ley line and traded the peaceful blue of the sky for the shiny green light of Ygdrassil.

"Perhaps she didn't want us to feel obliged to go with her," Diana suggested

"Of course we should have gone with her! You know how Sucy's mother can be."

"Perhaps she foresaw you would say something like that and wouldn't take no for an answer," The platinum-blonde continued and pointedly met the eyes of her exited friend.

"Ugh..." Akko grumbled as she turned her eyes ahead, knowing she couldn't fault her friend's words.

"Don't worry, Akko. You know Sucy can take care of herself. If she expected to need our help she would have said so."

"Yeah... I guess you're right, Lotte... But she should have said something."

Diana observed how Akko seemed to make her peace with the matter and shared a smile with the bespectacled girl who was flying to her left.

It never ceased to amaze her that they were now able to fly the ley lines from any place on earth to any other.  
Ordinary humans would never know the wonderful and actually quite comfortable feeling of flying through the branches of the tree of life.  
Thanks to Ygdrassil a flight that would ordinarily take them close to eight days excluding stops to eat and sleep would now be over in a little over fourteen hours.  
And as long as you remained focused flying the ley lines was as comfortable and relaxed as driving on a country road... As far as Diana suspected.

"Maybe I'm a little worried about father's job with this restructuring after all," Akko interrupted her friend's revery.  
"They promised him a change in department. He was looking forward to it so much. And now they tell him they need him to stay on in his current function."

"It is vexing that his bosses betrayed their promise to him, but it seems to me that they did so because due to his talent, experience, and dedication he is the best person to have in his position during the restructuring.  
Afterward, he may still be able to change departments if he still desires the challenge. If anything it seems they value him highly," Diana said while she checked her hat with her right hand.

"I feel sorry for him. He was so excited about working in the detergent department..."

Lotte grimaced as she saw the brunette make all kinds of inappropriately dramatic expressions.

"He seemed very excited about the restructuring too though, Akko. Aren't you making too big a deal out of this?" She gingerly protested.

"I know!" The Japanese witch fist-pumped. "When we get to Luna Nova I'll talk to Filiz and see what she can do. Héhéhé. What's the point of going to school with the boss's daughter if you can't get a little favor done sometimes."

"I hope you are not seriously planning to pressure a girl who looks up to you into begging her father to pull an employee away from the position the management of the company needs him at?! Such an act might influence the future performance of the entire company and the job security of the people living there!" Diana suddenly flared up.

"Huh? Why are you getting so angry?" Akko sweated. "Aren't you being a little too serious about this?"

"I expect better from you, Akko. What you were entertaining in your mind is pure corruption. I hate back-door politics," The platinum-blonde huffed as she looked ahead with a scowl on her beautiful face. "If you are going to become an important public person you should behave conscientiously."

"Huh? Come on, Diana. Don't be so stubborn. I was only trying to find a way to help my father," Akko insisted as the trio continued their flight through the shiny green ley line.

"Diana?!"

* * *

Hoka was sitting at the 5-meter long black oak table of the cream-colored board-room in the Yamazaki tower watching a televised advertisement on the large flat-screen television mounted against the wall opposite him.

A handsome boy with short-cut black hair in dark-blue pants and a white long-sleeved shirt with moon-faces and a cute girl with long braided orange hair in a long white dress decorated with all kinds of fruits were dancing and singing side by side on a giant tea leave that twirled all over the place and multiplied itself and its occupants every time it bumped against the side of the screen.

In the end, one version of the cheerful kids-next-door duo hovered close in front of the screen and appealed to the viewer in unison.

"Are you Fufian? Join Perfect Fusion Fufian club on Line and Twitter and meet with people just like you! Try our different flavors, and remember: great tea has a great odor as well as a great flavor!"

Then they waved to the viewer as they and the tea-leave they stood on twirled back among their copies and the add ended.

"Not only are Saitou Hayato and Saitou Kayoko cheerful and approachable. The fact that they are brother and sister makes them extra appealing to both sexes," Faisal Osdemir who was standing behind Hoka with folded arms in white pants with a pattern of gold thread stitched down the pipes and a dark-blue shirt with red accents and his eternal golden griffin companion attached to his left breast pocket informed the young man as he switched the flat-screen television off.

"This advertisement will receive constant replay on all television stations and streaming sites starting now. It will be the spearhead of our Perfect Fusion Fufian campaign.  
With what our marketing team has worked out and the way you have made all of my competitors subservient to me I guarantee your goal will reach fulfillment within the next trimester!  
At the end of the month, we will share the evaluation of the marketing campaign with our international partners so that they can start to work out their respective campaigns after they have restructured their companies and factories for your purpose."

"You seem very confident in the powers of attraction that duo possesses," Hoka grinned as he turned around in the brown leather revolving chair he was seated in.

As he came to face his interlocutor three knocks were heard on the beige door right behind him.

"You may come in!" Faisal announced.

A young man in a black-and-white waiter uniform slowly stepped through the door with a deferential bow.

"My apologies for the intrusion, Mr. Osdemir. You made a call to the cafeteria for someone to take away an empty sorbet bowl?"

The young man's broad-shouldered employer grimly pointed his finger at the bowl and spoon on a brown wooden tray which rested on the table to the right of Hoka's position.

As the waiter came over, quietly took the offending table-wear with him and closed the door behind him Hoka grinned sheepishly at the older man.

"Disrespectful manners hurt me exceedingly, Mr. Inumuta. But as to your question: Sai2 are the biggest stars in Japanese pop-music at the moment. I'm surprised you are ignorant of this."

"I only listen to Techno..."

"Nobody listens to Techno."

"... and Hip-hop."

"Even my daughter, Berren, is in love with Saitou Hayato, and I don't know what went wrong when I conceived that girl. My wife and I were convinced she didn't have an affectionate bone in her body up to half a year ago," The great bald Turk sweated."

"Well, now in this past week the only tea and soap products sold in Japan have been those produced according to the procedures outlined by the Perfect Fusion company and containing our secret ingredient I can tell you that Perfect Fusion Fufian club will already have a lot of members by the end of the day," Hoka promised with a confident smile as he got up from the revolving chair in his dark-blue business suit over a white shirt. "I don't even need to rely on data or guesswork to know that."

"You really can tell?" Faisal frowned.

Hoka raised his eyebrows at the man in front of him.

"I told you we could."

He walked to the meter high room-wide window to the left of the long black oak table and crossed his arms before his chest as he looked out over the nation's capital.

"There are a lot of people out there with a lot of questions, Mr. Osdemir. And when they watch our publicity today they will join our Perfect Fusion Fufian club to get those questions answered.  
By tonight a new nation will be born," Hoka smiled. "And we will have lain the foundations of a new world."

The young man heard a quiet chuckle behind him and turned around.

"Having such privileged knowledge of what we are doing I am surprised a man like you can wait so long," Hoka suggested and held out a hand. "Why don't you join us, Mr. Osdemir?"

Faisal observed the warm smile of his new master and grinned.

"No, thank you. I plan on waiting for a time when I can be more assured of your success. Your endeavor is still in its early stages. At these times villains often see their plans foiled and if that happens I would like to be able to say I was forced to cooperate."

"Villains?" The young man with the blue hair frowned. "I don't see how what we are doing is evil. It is a very beautiful thing."

Faisal couldn't keep himself from bursting out in loud laughter.  
This boy was so naive. Evidently, he wasn't aware of everything that went on in the minds of his friends.

Hoka took a step back as the Turk's long peal of laughter gradually subsided and the man leaned his right hand against the white wall of the board room.

"Was that really so funny?" The acting CEO of ShelteR Inc. asked seriously.

"Many villains have trouble seeing themselves as such. You might see the joke soon enough," Faisal chuckled as he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at the young man by the window with gleaming eyes. "I doubt it will take long for people to get harmed by what we are doing."

* * *

Souq Sharq fish market in Kuwait was bustling with people as always.

A vendor in blue jeans and light-blue long sleeve shirts was selling a kilo of shrimp to a tourist in a dark-blue T-shirt and pink shorts who was accompanied by two boys of about eight and a girl of eleven in blue shorts and an orange shirt.  
A slightly obese man in a short-sleeved red T-shirt and grey gym pants passed them by carrying a blue bag containing a large reef cod.  
Nearby, an older man with a long grey beard in a long white tunic and a cap was haggling with a fishmonger wearing a short-sleeved dark-blue shirt and a long white plastic apron.

Large heaps of crab, shrimp, lobster, squid, mackerel, croaker, and snapper lay on beds of ice on top of the large raised stone slabs that surrounded the various beige 5-meter high pillars holding the roof of the gigantic covered market aloft.

Among them, a tall black young man with long loose dark-green micro dreads wearing a long stained brown cloak over his green tunic was also lustfully observing the abundance of nourishment assembled here.

The people he passed by on his leisurely stroll over the beige ceramic tiles the market was paved with each shrank away as they noticed the putrid odor coming from the heavily sweating young man. This didn't bother Eri.

Not only was he finally set free after that humiliating defeat over 60 years ago, if he was going to find and defeat the enemy that was threatening his existence he would need to gather all the power he was capable of.

And to challenge that enemy he had come to the region that boasted the lowest mortality rate on the planet.

With their technologically advanced medical facilities, highly subsidized health services, and top-notch patient care, the countries in the Persian Gulf had been making Eri salivate for years.

All the effort made to protect the citizens of the Arabian Peninsula from disease seemed like a glove thrown in his face. It was a glove he had been itching to pick up.

As an endless swarm of flies and mosquitos escaped unnoticed from underneath his dirty cloak the young man grinned madly in anticipation of the suffering that would soon spread from here,  
and the more highly prized prey it would attract.

* * *

"Are you alright, Diana?" Akko couldn't help asking again as they were descending through the airborne ley line terminal towards Volch'ya Logovo lyceum below.

"Thank you for your concern, but I am fine now," The Brit smiled as she looked down at the intimidating yet scenic sight they were approaching.

Volch'ya Logovo lyceum was located in the middle of the Ural mountain range of central Russia. High and foreboding ice-covered peaks surrounded the wide green valley the lyceum was located in and which the school shared with a lake as expansive as the complex itself.

The large white hexagonal building called Dragon's Tower which housed Volch'ya Logovo lyceum's library, archives, and the teacher's lodgings and private laboratories rose up behind the longest leg of the long white reversed L-shaped four-story main hall that half enclosed a garden, a fountain, and practice grounds for broom flying.

The tower and the main hall both had emerald-green roofing that shone in the sun. A tall bell tower containing Volch'ya Logovo's sorcerer's stone sprouted up from the middle of the Dragon's Tower and made it three times as tall as the roof of the main hall.

The complex was three times as large as Luna Nova and housed about five times its student body.  
Over one-third of the magic students from the Russian Federation and the neighboring countries were educated here, but right now, only trolls, teachers, and students who had spent their summer break in the dormitories or had to retake their exams were present in the school. Like all magic schools, Volch'ya Logovo lyceum was preparing to receive by far the biggest portion of its student body the coming day.

"Still, I am glad we can take a rest after having to swoop down to keep you from crashing through the ley line," Akko sweated.

"Yes. You brought us quite a scare," Lotte remarked. "What happened back there?"

"I don't know..." Diana reflected as they landed in a festively decorated meadow enclosed by high poles connected by colorful garlands. "I suddenly felt overwhelmed by a feeling of intense panic. Before I knew it I was twirling down and Akko caught me just in time."

"A panic attack?" Lotte frowned. "Do you have an idea what brought it on?"

"Not really..." The Brit answered absentmindedly. "I don't... It rather felt like... something profoundly evil was moving through the ley lines."

Akko observed her friend with a worried look.

"Hey there! Luna Nova! What happened to your fourth?"

Hearing the anxious query the trio looked in the direction of the school building from where two girls in the distinctive pine-green Volch'ya Logovo uniform came running up to them.

"Hey, Akko! Did something happen to the four of you in Japan?" A beautiful girl of average height with a sweet innocent face sporting a white dutch fishtail braid hanging over a crown twist braid called as she came near.

The girl's childhood friend, Oksana, was a third-year at Luna Nova whom Akko had become acquainted with and who had recommended Volch'ya Logovo to her as a place to rest on their way to Japan.

"Where's Sucy?" A slightly taller girl with a slight tan and medium-length wavy silver hair added fearfully.

"Oh. Hello, Natalya and Soyolma. What's wrong? Why are you so agitated?" Akko greeted.

"Is everything alright with Sucy?" Soyolma repeated as she and her friend came to a halt in front of the Luna Nova witches.

"Yes..." Akko replied. "Well, she was called home by her mother. So not everything is alright, but we don't think anything is seriously wrong in the family."

"Oh! Thank God," The pale girl exhaled with her left hand to her chest. "We feared she might have been killed by the witch hunter."

"Natalya!" Her silver-haired friend whined. "The teachers told us not to spread panic."

"Witch hunter?!" Akko and Diana exclaimed in unison.

The two Volch'ya Logovo witches shared a look as if they wished they could take back what they had just said.

"You see... One of the second years who had to stay at school for summer break to retake her magical linguistics exam overheard the teachers talk two days ago. It seems the headmistress received a call from the parents of a student who wanted to let her know that their daughter had been found dead last week."

"We didn't know the girl," Natalya interrupted. "She was a first-year student. But it seemed the girl's parents told headmistress Novotna that their daughter was murdered because she made contact with the Witches Council right after. When she did she was told that several magic-school students have been killed all over Europe during summer break!"

"Keep your voice down!" Soyolma shushed.

A cold chill came over Diana as she listened and watched the two Russian girls talk as through a filter.

Lotte grabbed her smartphone and almost dropped it as she tapped the speed dial icon for Barbara even though they had talked the night before.

"A witch hunter?!" Akko angrily exclaimed. "That doesn't make any sense! Why would someone do such a thing in this day and age?! Magic and witches are a friend to everyone. Why would anyone still think we should be feared and persecuted?"

"Don't tell your friends you heard this from us, alright?" Soyolma said and took Akko's hands while looking her in the eyes. "The teachers found out we were talking about it and they told us we are forbidden to talk about the murders because they don't want a panic to spread.

If anyone gets caught breaking the vow they made us take they'll be on cleaning duty with the trolls any free moment they have for the rest of the year."

"That sounds horri..."

"What do you actually know?" Diana, who had recovered from her shock - sternly enquired. "What are the facts of the matter that you had confirmed by the teachers who made you vow to silence?"

Natalya and Soyolma shared a look while the two Luna Nova witches observed them and Lotte was talking to Barbara in hushed but relieved tones.

"They didn't really confirm anything," Natalya mumbled.

"That's right. All we know is that Makvala heard the teachers say how horrible it was that Nadia had been found dead and that the Witches Council was investigating other incidents," Her friend added with vigor.

"Then all you know is very vague," Diana curtly replied while she folded her arms across her chest and Akko curiously regarded her.

"What you know is hearsay in any case, but I will not question the honesty or accuracy of your friend's words.  
Those words, however, amount to nothing more than the teachers expressing their sadness over Nadia's death and talking about the Council investigating the death of other girls. There is nothing that suggests murder or a witch hunter.  
Under article 11.4 of the International Accord for the Regulation of Practical Magic, it is standard procedure when a witch dies for the Council to send someone charged with investigating the circumstances of her death.  
Whatever caused the death of those girls the Witches Council will deal with it and trying to guess what happened will only spread ugly rumors and result in causing more pain for the families who lost a child."

Akko turned her gaze slowly from her stern-looking friend to the two girls in front of them who were now looking sheepishly at the ground and fiddling with their fingers.

"Yes... I suppose... that's true," Natalya muttered.

"I told you not to say anything!" Soyolma scolded with a flustered face.

Lotte meanwhile had ended her phone call with Barbara and was looking at the third years whom Diana had brought to shame with pity.  
"Thank you for being so concerned for our safety and that of Sucy. Natalya. Soyolma. I'm glad we got to know each other when we stopped here on our way to Japan. You clearly care a lot about us," She kindly remarked.

"That's true!" Akko exclaimed cheerfully while she vigorously shook the hands of one girl after the other and it was Diana's turn to look flustered for sounding ungrateful and unduly harsh. "Thank you for being our friends!"

"Yes. Thank you very much for worrying over us," The Brit added. "I am grateful that we mean that much to you."

"Oh, it's nothing. Hahaha!" Soyolma laughed in relief as she pulled Akko along with her by her hand. "To tell the truth we were all rather starstruck when you arrived here at the beginning of August. But we can also tell you are all really nice girls. So wanting to be friends is natural. Isn't it?"

Her white-haired friend chatted quietly with Lotte while the group started to walk towards Volch'ya Logovo's main hall.

"Let's go to cafeteria D to get you your dinner and after that, we'll go to the receptionist of the third year's house and we'll show you your room," Soyolma continued.

* * *

After once again being lionized while eating dinner with their friends in one of the third-years cafeterias which quickly became the only populated cafeteria of the still largely uninhabited lyceum Akko and her companions were shown to their room for the night.

While in Luna Nova students were divided into groups of three, in Russian magic schools groups of seven were the norm.  
This stemmed from both numerological reasons and the long-standing but by now long obsolete tradition of large Russian families.

In recent years there had been times when Russian magic schools had divided their student population into groups of five or even three because the largely unpopulated schools had allowed for that luxury.  
This year however the influx of new students was unprecedented, and second and third years held on to the nostalgic stories their mothers, aunts, or grandmothers had told them by way of comfort about the happy memories they had of the crowded dorm rooms, knowing all too well that they were giving up their former luxury for the lack of privacy many were all too familiar with from home.

So each room had two bunk-beds against the left wall, and a bunk bed on the right one with a bed-over desk farthest from the door against the right wall.

The four empty beds in a room barely larger than the one Lotte at least occupied at Luna Nova did little to bother the three visitors. They were happy already to sleep on a soft mattress after their exhausting nine-hour flight.

While Akko kept pacing back and forth over the oaken floorboards with her cellphone to her ear Lotte sat dressed in a sky-blue dark-blue sleeved nightgown with her legs hanging over the edge of the second top bed against the left wall working on a scene from her next novel on her laptop and Diana was reading the latest edition of Volch'ya Logovo's weekly magazine Wolf's Call in the first lower bed against the left wall.

"For heaven's sake, Akko!" The latter eventually exclaimed. "At least sit down. You're making me nervous too."

In fact, the sleeveless burgundy nightgown that matched the brunette's eye color so well and set off the color of her skin was the main reason Diana had a hard time focusing on her magazine.

"I can't relax when there are rumors of a witch hunter about and Sucy took off on her own without a proper goodbye. It's suspicious, Diana!"

"No, it isn't. We talked about this when we departed. You're lett..."

"She finally picked up!" The brunette yelled out in an outburst of victory. "Hello? Sucy..."

"WHAT IS IT, AKKO!"

The Japanese witch fell on the floor in a violent fearful reaction to the frustrated outburst.

"S... Sucy?" She timidly asked as she hauled herself up by one of the bed poles.

"I've been busy all day! Give me a break..."

Sucy was suddenly interrupted and Akko strained her ears to hear the muffled conversation going on at the other end of the line.

"... No. I won't tell her to drink ... I don't care! I'm tired ... Of course I still ...four days!"

"Sucy? Is that your mother?" Akko innocently inquired.

"Sometimes it feels like I'm the mother." The Filipino sighed with an affectionate tone in her voice.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Sucy. But I was worried," Akko continued. "You really should have told us your mother called you and told you to come home. We're friends, aren't we?! If one of us needs help we stand by her!" The brunette boisterously declared.

"Yes, yes... I know," Sucy sighed again. "I'm sorry for not telling you everything face to face. Actually... Akko... It looks like I'm going to be needed here for a while."

"What?!"

"I'm afraid this situation with my family isn't going to get resolved in a few days. The soonest I'll be able to get back to school will be November."

"November?! Why? What is going on, Sucy?" Akko worriedly inquired.

Lotte and Diana now turned their attention to the conversation in earnest after hearing their friend's exclamations and surmising what was being said.

"Don't worry, Akko. It's nothing serious. An uncle of mine passed away and... It's very complicated and a lot of people are involved. It's a highly convoluted inheritance question mostly.  
The heart of the matter is that he owned several houses stacked with magical objects and books. Every branch of the family wants its members to research and catalog everything minutely for themselves. Nobody trusts outsiders or the other branches to do it correctly and fairly.  
So there will be a lot of petty squabbles and it will be ages before everything is done to everyone's satisfaction."

"Oh. That sounds tough," Akko responded in a deflated manner. "But what about your education, Sucy?"

"I'll have to talk to headmistress Holbrooke about that. Hopefully, she won't give me a hard time about it. I hope I'll be allowed to catch up when I get back.  
In the worst-case scenario, I'll finish the rest of the semester in Djakarta and study hard to take the exams at Luna Nova in December."

"Are you sure there isn't another way though, Sucy," Akko sighed.

She heard her friend grin quietly on the other end of the line.

"I'll be alright, Akko. It's me we are talking about. I don't need someone using food to lure me into studying."

"Hey! That happened only one time because we were studying the basic principles of alchemy for hours and Diana wanted me to finish the material before the end of the weekend so we could practice transmutation of metal the rest of the week!"

"Héhéhé. I'll miss having you guys around. But I'll be back, and we'll talk on the phone. Besides... I have to be here to make sure I get my hands on that old man's mushroom collection and study books.  
Or did you think I was only doing this for mother?  
I'm going to eat now and go to sleep ... Yes, I am," Sucy decidedly answered a person in the room with her. "Say hi to the others for me and I'll see you as soon as possible."

"Goodbye, Sucy. Good luck. Don't let them boss you around!"

"Hey, Akko..."

"Huh?"

"Thanks for not being pushy about this," Was Sucy's affectionate goodbye.

Akko sighed and placed her cellphone on the long desk against the wall under the window.

"What did she say?" Diana asked quietly, feeling the mood of her friend as she folded her legs underneath her and drew Akko's eyes to her figure in the horizontally grey-striped nightgown she was wearing.

"She said... She probably won't come back to school before November. Maybe even December. Her family is entangled in a complex inheritance affair and they need her to help appraise and catalog heaps and heaps of magical items. Sounds like they got her working very hard. Poor Sucy."

"And they are forcing her to interrupt her studies for that reason? How irresponsible!" Diana huffed.

"I can see Sucy's mother think that way," Lotte sighed.

"I don't think Sucy herself minds it too much," Akko grinned as she sat beside Diana on the bed. "She was grumbling a lot, but she actually sounded like she was having a really good time."

Lotte watched her friend stretch her arms and look at the page Diana was reading.

"Sometimes I wish I had a large family too. That's why I feel so happy having all of you as my friends," Akko dreamily admitted.

"I feel the same way!" Lotte reacted with vigor at the brunette's declaration while Diana smiled affectionately without looking up.  
"I was also always alone at home. So it is really nice that we all get along and have so much fun together at Luna Nova. I never had friendships like with you three and..." The young Fin blushed as she reflected on her feelings for her co-novelist. "It is really nice," She continued with a smile.

"University!"

Lotte and Akko turned their eyes toward their friend who was sitting all tense and red-faced with her hands before her mouth after her excited outburst.

"University?" Akko asked with her head tilted.

Her British friend slowly pulled her hands from her face while her eyes still didn't move from the magazine that lay open in her lap.  
Finally, Diana slowly looked from Lotte to Akko with dilated eyes.

"The Witches Council is thinking of reopening one of the magic universities in Europe in a few years."

"What?!" Akko veered up, pulled on the platinum-blonde's arms and brought their faces nearly nose to nose.

"They say that with the increase of magic students all over the world and the slowly rising interest of governments and companies to work with the Council they foresee that in a few years time there might be resources and a demand for an institution that offers higher education in the various branches of magic again. Look."

The two young witches excitedly bowed their heads over the magazine Diana had been reading

For Lotte's benefit The Japanese witch read aloud:

"... After the meeting, Council Member Sabatini of the department of education announced that the Witches Council will be aiming to revive one of the European universities for witchcraft within the coming years.

Their first goal is Europe because it is there that they have observed the greatest interest in magic education from governments, but if they are successful they will strive to reopen institutions for higher education in witchcraft in every continent.

The last university for witchcraft closed in 1916 in Maryland, USA after government funding stopped and the number of students had dwindled to thirty-two. For the next hundred years, witches who wanted to pursue a branch of magic beyond what a secondary education could provide were left to their own devices, dedicated teachers or the knowledge possessed in their family.  
The results of this situation famously led C.M. Pensri Voraritskul in 1991 to lament how beyond a few exceptions most teachers at magic schools were barely higher skilled than the top-ranking third years.

Council Member Annabella Sabatini clarified that no decision has been made yet as to which former university for witchcraft would be restored, but that their choice would naturally fall in the country that shows most interest and can provide the greatest support for the project whether from its own public funds or by bringing together private investors.

The C.M. stated that not only the worldwide increase of 35 percent in new magic school students but also the instructive debates and negotiations that led to the International Accord for the Regulation of Practical Magic encouraged the Council to actively gauge the interest of the international community for the project."

Akko and Diana looked each other in their shining eyes after they finished reading the grand news.

"So cool!" They then exclaimed while falling into the other's arms.

Lotte giggled as she saw her friends jump out of bed and dance around the room.

A lot of things had happened since she and Akko had crashed into Arcturus Forest on that fateful day.

One wonderful thing after another, magic was regaining its former position in the world. Making that world a better place to live in.

* * *

Even though it was only six o clock the light of the sun seemed to be growing paler as it shone from above and through the trees all around. Or maybe the blood loss was starting to affect Rachel's eyesight.

The girl with the long curly hair turned her dizzy, tired head slightly to the right.  
Her sister was still lying next to her, their faces close. Their legs in opposite directions.

"Ah... That was over quickly!" Molly giggled. "I had hoped for a greater challenge from you. But I had fun."

Rachel whimpered at the pain from the freely flowing wounds in her heart and her belly which were quickly draining her of life.  
Her light-green summer dress and her long curly blonde hair were being drenched in her own blood.

Several minutes ago, after having had her heartbreak and jealousy exploited by the younger girl, Rachel had come to the brink of her endurance.  
With tears in her eyes, she had conjured up a sharp pair of scissors and attempted to stab the sister she had loved so dearly while grabbing her tormentor's right hand with her left.  
Quickly both girls temporarily bound the other's powers and Molly grabbed Rachel's right wrist. The blackette in the blue skirt and white short skirt vigorously pushed her assailant's right arm back behind the blonde's head while her older sister furiously tried to bring the bent limb down again.

Both girls strained their muscles against the other while Molly forcibly brought her older sister to buckle and bend her knees.  
Rachel cried out in frustration as the blackette gradually pushed her down. At last, realizing she could not match the other girl's strength the blonde let herself fall and twisted her body so that her antagonist landed underneath her.

Rachel, brought to greater rage by the fight, still attempted to stab her sister while Molly, still holding on to her sister's wrist, pushed the armed limb high above the blonde's head.  
The girls struggled furiously as the blackette slowly rolled her older sister over. Both of the young witches pushed their bodies to the limit, panting heavily, as they fought to overthrow the other. Finally, while their lungs expanded and contracted in rapid tempo, Molly overpowered her sister and straddled Rachel's right leg while pinning the blonde down.

Molly's left arm pushed Rachel's right arm away from their bodies while their fingers wrestled for possession of the pair of scissors.  
Fueled by fury, the blackette used her forehead to push the left side of the blonde's head into the grass and used her right arm to trap her older sister's own left arm around her head.

Rachel's impotent whimpering was muffled by both girl's arms as Molly leaned her body into the other girl's and mercilessly held her older sister down.  
The blonde's hair was spread out underneath her body and as the girls panted and wrestled furiously her blackette foe cruelly pulled the curled strands using the fingers of her right hand which was firmly grabbing her sister's left hand.

Desperate to escape, Rachel leaned her body to the right and fought to free her left leg on which Molly was sitting with her right cheek.  
The two sisters whined and sighed from anger and effort as their bodies tensed and they pushed even their heads against one another. Molly's thumb forced Rachel's from out of one of the scissor's eyes while at the same time her older sister slowly freed her left leg and tried to roll the other girl over by using it to push against her right flank.

Forgetting all of the happy memories they had shared in their violent feud the girls fought fiercely for dominance, using all of the energy and muscle their bodies possessed in order to bring the other a possible lethal defeat.

Underneath Molly's outspread black hair which had covered both of their heads during their life or death conflict, her blonde adversary brought forth a weak and muffled squealing as the younger girl finally pushed her older sister's bent left leg down and used her own bent right leg to keep it down.

Feeling her exhausted body overpowered by Molly's Rachel whimpered softly as her black-haired rival mercilessly twisted the fingers of the blonde's right arm while yanking the scissors from their grasp.

Then, as Molly got off from her older sister, Rachel fearfully tried to get away from the other witch. But all of her energy spent, she could not manage more than to turn her body around and attempt to get onto her knees before her younger sister delivered her two deadly stabs with the weapon the older girl had intended for her killer.

It was only after that fatal moment that the girl in the light-green summer dress lamented what she had intended to do.

"I'm afraid I gotta go, sis. I want to be at Luna Nova before everyone comes back from their holidays," Molly light-heartedly sang.

Rachel looked at the beautiful girl dressed in a blue skirt and a white short skirt next to her through tearful eyes with a fearful, hurt expression. She never knew a boy could come between them and make them fall out so badly.

"Hihihi! You look so funny!" Molly giggled with her usual cute smile, her long flowing black hair sliding down her shoulder as she looked at the face of the sister she had just killed and lay bleeding to her right. The bloodied pair of scissors she had used to commit that horrid murder was held in the hand of her left arm which lay leisurely next to her body.

Rachel watched Molly jump up with vigor and heard her walk away through the high grass down the hill they had so viciously fought on under cover of the trees without even looking back at the sister she had used to share everything with.

Then all became silent.

The suffering blonde girl in the light-green dress had no strength left to use healing magic, even if her powers were slowly being restored. It was a beautiful day, but she had her heartbroken and was dying.

The third-year Luna Nova student sobbed weakly at how the slight tense situation that had started a few weeks back turned out in just a few minutes.

The birds in the trees around her shattered cheerfully, unconcerned with her.

Suddenly Rachel heard a sound. Footsteps were approaching.

Could it be that her sister was finally overtaken by grief over what had overcome them?

"My, my. What happened to you?"

It wasn't her sister.

A cute girl with long blonde ringletted twin-tails and a pale pink dress bound with a red sash loomed over her.

"Please... Help..." Rachel sobbed.

"Hihi," The girl clapped her hands in front of her beautiful face before pointing a finger at Rachel and exclaiming: "You're a Luna Nova student, right?! You girls seem to be engaging in some pretty weird stuff lately. And now it seems you are killing each other? I sensed a lot of magical residue over here."

"Yes... Please..." Rachel begged, ignoring the girl's strange behavior. Desperate to live.

The girl with the strangely shaped pigtails held her finger downward above Rachel's body. The young witch saw the girl's finger turn purple and felt a sharp pain in her head.

"Aaaiii!"

"I see what happened..." The girl smiled. "So strange. I wanted to say: Hey dumb witches! Don't go fighting among yourselves and taking all the fun from me after we found out what you're doing to us! But I didn't expect this."

"Wha...?"

"That other person wasn't your sister, by the way. She was only impersonating her. Isn't it shameful that you didn't notice? Hihihi."

"Molly...?" Rachel sobbed. "Thank God... I knew... Oh, Molly..."

"Anyway, now that I know what went on here it's time to enjoy your magical energy before there's nothing left. So say Bon appetite, Efu!"

"Wh...a?"

Rachel's blood-drained face turned paler still as she saw the girl's mouth expand into enormous proportions.  
Absolute terror managed to make the witch lift up her hand in a futile attempt to get away as Efu's face became larger than her body.

In a minute the girl with the ringletted blonde pigtails had swallowed her weakly screaming victim whole and was licking her lips as she turned back to normal again.

"Hardly worth it, since she was close to death. But food is food."

Efu turned around and looked towards the Luna Nova leyline terminal in the far distance with a mean grin.

"The age of plenty is about to come to an end, Europe. And you have your meddling witches to thank for it."

The beautiful young blonde girl stood giggling with her legs wide and her arms akimbo in her pale pink dress. A hard, hateful expression gradually appeared on her face.

"I expected the rebirth of Ygdrassil to become bad news for us. But it seems things have unexpectedly turned out otherwise. Now, if you think you can deny me my nourishment of the sweet nectar of suffering humans, I will teach you otherwise. Luna. Nova."

* * *

Tsumugu stumbled into the apartment after awkwardly taking his shoes off in the genkan.  
He leaned against the light-blue painted wall to his right, walked on past the beige bathroom door, turned and hauled himself through the glass door on his right and flopped into the coarse beige sofa in front of the flat-screen television.

It took him a minute to adjust to his new surroundings, but when he did he saw Aikuro standing in the doorway to his left next to the egg-shell white cupboard with the glass windows that proudly displayed the picture of them both hanging around the shoulders of Isshin and Kinue respectively, cheerfully waving at the camera during their graduation party.

Aikuro loosened the black tie around his neck. He looked sexy and elegant, even though his sky-blue shirt was in complete disarray from how Tsumugu had kept hanging on the slender man's muscular frame while he had hauled him back home after their night out.

"... with brie when we get home..." The brawny man lying in the beige sofa dressed in a pair of black jeans pants and a red T-shirt stammered as he ended a request he had started to formulate back when they got into the cab that had brought them to their apartment/office/laboratory in the suburbs of Ota City.

Aikuri slowly came near and sat down next to his lover. He leaned closer and caressed the other man's cheek and the short-cropped black hair on the sides of his head.

"Say please," He whispered with tired eyes.

Tsumugu inhaled the mixture of alcohol-breath and the faded odor of the after-shave that smelled like home.

He threw his left arm over the blue-haired man and pulled him into a kiss that lasted several minutes before they hugged.

"You alright, Tsu?" Aikuro grinned.

"Yeah."

The man with the red mohawk let go and draped himself over the sofa while his lover got up and walked past the television into the kitchen, switching on the lights in both rooms.

Tsumugu felt a lump in the left pocket of his pants and put his fingers in to find some small change.

"Huh..." He sighed.

As he surveyed the sky-blue painted room his eyes fell on the remote control lying on the low glass table to the right of the sofa.

"Television...?" The man with the red mohawk weakly murmured as his attention was drawn to the sound Aikuro was making in the kitchen.

Hearing no answer for what seemed like five minutes he switched the television on after about fifteen seconds.

"Meanwhile other cases have been reported in Iraq and Qatar. Authorities in Kuwait are saying so far none of the patients have died from the extremely painful disease..."

"Here's your snack," Aikuro smiled as he threw a packet of Ritz crackers with brie into his lover's lap. "And here's a bottle of iced tea."

The blue-haired man gently sat down next to his colleague and handed the bottle to him before unscrewing his own and taking a long draught.

"Haaa! That does a body good," Aikuro grinned and looked to his right.

"The World Health Organization is hustling to organize an unprecedented quarantine zone around the Persian Gulf in the hope of halting the rapidly spreading outbreak. According to..."

Aikuro saw his lover had thrown off the lethargic look on his face and was watching the news intently.

"They say three-hundred thousand people have been diagnosed with an unknown disease in less than twenty-four hours. How is that even possible?" Tsumugu muttered in awe.

"Headaches. A dry mouth. Bulbous swellings on the tongue and inside of the cheeks. Painful couching, Green-tinted, painful and slimy excretion. If you are suffering from these symptoms or a combination of them please go to your nearest hospital immediately..."

"What the heck is going on now? Aikuro stammered as he saw a spokesman of the W.H.O. Issue a warning on the screen.

"I have no idea. But I do know that Kenuki is of no use to those people," Tsumugu grunted while drinking his iced tea.

"Meanwhile in Israel, the peace talks that started unexpectedly last week..."

"So... Tomorrow we start the test phase," Aikuro smiled while he fondled the hair of the man who was sitting next to him in black jeans and a red T-shirt. "It's so exciting to be moving forward with a finished product! Hahaha."

"... which the Israeli government has started donating to the Palestinian state in weekly installments. Starting tomorrow Palestinian National Security soldiers will resume patrolling the Gaza border in tandem with Israeli Border Police soldiers while several weapons have already been collected which Hamas voluntarily... "

The blue-haired man turned his eyes toward his lover after half a minute of silence.

Tsumugu had a strange grin on his face.

"Do you still think it's a good idea to help Takarada to a superweapon that makes the Goku uniforms look like a bunch of dollar-store T-shirts?" The tanned man muttered.

"Are you starting to worry about his motives? The contract says the mech-suits are our property. Takarada is genuinely worried about a return of the life fibers. We're lucky to have such a financer."

Tsumugu crushed the empty packet of Ritz crackers in his right hand and placed it on the low glass table as his eyes strayed from his lover's confidently smiling face to that of his grinning sister on the picture in the egg-shell white cabinet against the wall.

"You're probably right," The brawny man with the red mohawk sighed.

"Probably?" Aikuro said, raising a mischievous eyebrow.

"I'm tired, Aikuro. I'm going to bed. See you in a few minutes."

Aikuro watched his friend slowly raise himself up and lumber to the hallway before turning to the right.

Then the blue-haired man turned his attention to the television screen. He considered Tsumugu's concerns and that led him to think about his lover's earlier comment about the uselessness of weapons when it came to things like the frightening news about the Arabian peninsula.

While a cheerful add was playing featuring the rising superstar duo Sai2 the CEO of Lightning Strike Robotics pondered the question he had asked himself earlier:

'What the heck is going on now?'

"Are you Fufian? Join Perfect Fusion Fufian club on Line and Twitter and meet with people just like you! Try our different flavors, and remember: great tea has a great odor as well as a great flavor!"

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	5. Chapter 5

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

The weather above Luna Nova magical academy was bright and warm with a gentle breeze on the day of the entrance ceremony for the second semester, promising high temperatures for the rest of the month of September.

The roses, Aster, and Honeysuckle in the flowerbeds of the park around the school building were blooming with vivid red and violet and white while the leaves on the trees showed a healthy deep green color.

One witch after another arrived on her broom through the ley line and was welcomed by the student council representatives while festoons and Luna Nova's first concert band in years, modest as its numbers and the abilities of its members were, brought a festive atmosphere to the first day of the new semester.

But in spite of the cheer spread among the gathering student body, there was a troubling undercurrent.

Most of the girls who didn't know about the spreading rumors that had chilled the hearts of their friends were soon made aware why everyone was so exceptionally happy to see them arrive.

Diana, Lotte, and Akko had to reassure everyone who welcomed them that Sucy was indeed alive and well and were thoroughly tired of telling the story about the inheritance by the time they arrived at the school's bustling courtyard.

"How long before the ceremony?" Akko asked as the trio passed Mary, Avery, and Blair who were wrapped up in a discussion about the Italian witch's nephew whom Avery had met when she and Mary went to visit their friend's family during spring break and whom she had become quite smitten with.

"An hour and a half," Lotte replied, observing Diana who was preoccupied with her thoughts while she walked briskly ahead of her two friends.

"Diana! Look out!" Akko yelled as she scuttled up to the Brit and attempted to pull her away from a group of first-years she was about to walk into. The brunette came too late however and couldn't keep her distracted friend from bumping heads with a tall blonde.

"Ow! Watch it, will you!" The young witch exclaimed as she and her platinum-blonde senior rubbed their foreheads.

"I apologize. I should have..."

"Diana?! Oh! I'm sorry I didn't see you. Are you alright?"

"Well, I hope Diana will stop worrying about her dreams and pay more attention to where she's going after running into that thick skull of yours, Nela!" Akko deadpanned.

"Akko!" The Japanese witch's number one fan exclaimed in rapture while her blue eyes glittered. "You're all back! I was so worried!"

"Yes. We heard about the rumors. We're all safe though. And Sucy went home at her mother's request. But please don't make me go over that business again. I'm so tired of that story," Akko pleaded with uplifted eyes as she slouched her shoulders.

Nela and Diana both reflected on how cute their friend looked.

Then the Japanese witch was hit hard from behind and together with her assailant she rolled several meters further until they lay spread out in the grass next to each other.

"Filiz! You idiot! You just ruined Akko's tunic an hour before the ceremony!" Nela angrily scolded her roommate who sat up slowly with a dumb grin on her face while their idol rubbed the back of her head and moaned as she attempted to get up again.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Akko," The tall first-year apologized gently as she pulled her countryman to her feet. "Please forgive me?"

Akko looked up at the handsome girl with the short black ponytail and smiled indulgently while picking up and wiping her hat.  
"That's alright, Filiz. My tunic didn't suffer. And it's not like I haven't arrived at an opening ceremony in dirty clothes before."

The two Japanese witches shared a giggle while Lotte, Diana, Filiz's other roommate Isabelle who stood in a group nearby, and a grumpy Nela watched them.

"You sure are eager to see me, aren't you?" Akko laughed. "I thought I was being tackled by an American football player."

"An American football player? Ow... How harsh, and that from my idol. While most people mistake me for Ecem Çirpan because of my handsome girl-next-door looks."

"You can stop acting so coquettishly, Filiz. You're not as cute as you think."

As her roommate scolded her again the Japanese witch tilted her head and played with a pendant made from an old Russian coin with a double-headed eagle which she wore in her left ear.  
Then she slowly approached her friend with the long wavy bright-blonde hair, looking intensely in her eyes.  
Nela backed off cautiously and gave her playful roommate a suspicious look as Filiz came near.

"Yeah... You are wrong there, Nela. Because I'm wearing my awesome super-duper Luna Nova uniform!  
In these clothes I will always be cute," Filiz declared proudly.

"Can you believe my luck? I see a bunch of witches chasing after a missile on television and I'm totally bedazzled! Then after some inquiry, I get permission from my parents to go to Luna Nova. And all the while I didn't even realize that the school uniform is in my favorite color!" The girl with the short ponytail smiled as she twirled around in her tunic. "And then my roommate even dye's her hair purple. All because we are such great friends."

Everyone turned to the French girl with the yellow tinted sunglasses and the purple bob who had been in conversation with a big Greek girl with three silver pig-tails on either side of her head and a Peruvian redhead just outside their circle.

"Right, Isabelle?" Filiz grinned.

"Hihihihihihi," The French witch boisterously giggled as she rubbed the back of her head. "I can't deny that."

"That's great. But you don't have to act like a show-off all the time," Nela persisted.

"I don't act like a show-off I think," Filiz pouted and stealthily bumped buttocks' with her roommate who just as quietly distanced herself.

"Aaah... Are the two of you ever going to get along?" Akko sighed as she placed her hat on her head again.

Diana smiled at the two first-year girls who were both about an inch taller than her.

"They will get there as they continue to work together. There is a reason for every three witches to be grouped together," The Brit confidently stated.  
"Just like the Luna Nova symbol and the Trilogy Of Serenity statue here in the courtyard, each member of a group represents strength, wisdom, and heart. It is part of each student's personal journey to discover who she is in that group and how they can contribute to the group's progress.  
Rest assured that the teachers have spent much time in divination to allocate every member to a group that suits them best."

"Oh! Diana! Lotte! Akko! I didn't see you. I'm so glad you are all alright."

The group turned towards Mary who came running up to them with a big smile.

"Hello, Mary!" Akko and Diana cheerfully greeted their roommate who shared a warm hug with Diana in particular.

"Hello, Mary," Lotte added as she too received a warm embrace from the taller girl.

"Isn't it dreadful what happened to Otyllia?!" The Brit with the long dark-blue curls exclaimed. "And there are girls from other magic schools who were also targeted by the witch hunter!"

"We don't have any proof that there is indeed a witch hunter targeting pupils," Diana sternly objected. "Pretending that there is serves only to create panic."

"Besides... Our uniforms are violet. Not purple," Nela muttered to her Japanese roommate.

"How can you say that, Diana? I heard from Otyllia's roommates that she was found in a carpark with a broken neck!" Mary objected while she threw a look toward Nela and Filiz.

"Which may simply be the result of a shameful hit-and-run," Diana maintained.

"What about all of those other girls? Your appeal is honorable as always, Diana. But you can't pretend that there is nothing worrying about the fact that so many magic school students have been found dead over summer break!"

"I heard the Witches Council is going to send investigators from the department of order and protection to every affected magic school," Isabelle suddenly remarked.

"That is strange," Filiz frowned at her purple-haired friend. "Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard Principal Holbrooke talk to Miss Badcock in the hallway."

"Maybe they think the murderer is one of us?" Mary commented as she looked gravely from Isabelle over Nela and Filiz to Akko before Diana angrily objected: "You really are going too far now, Mary. Please leave the matter alone. If investigators are on their way here it is much too early for us to make an informed guess as to their motive."

"Alright. I won't say another word about it," The girl with the red ribbon in her hair pouted like a child who just got scolded by her mother. "But you can be sure other students will be talking about this. Everyone is worried and the entrance is surrounded by girls who are anxiously awaiting their friends."

As Barbara and Hannah approached the group Mary noticed how Filiz was giving her a conspiratorial wink, so she smiled back at her friend.

"Hey, Lotte. Welcome back," The Fin's co-author greeted as she kissed her girlfriend on the cheek and wrapped her arms around her waist. "What are you talking about?"

"Mary and Diana were talking about..." Nela began with a mischievous grin to Filiz's amusement.

"It doesn't matter," Diana sternly interrupted the taller girl.

"I can guess what they were talking about," Hannah haughtily stated while she stood in between Akko and her platinum-blonde friend. "They are obviously talking about the same thing everyone else is talking about. You are all such horrid gossips."

"Say, Hannah. I have to tell you something about Sucy," Akko started.

"Oh? I already know about that inheritance business. She told me on the phone a few days ago. Constanze told me she received a call from Sucy as well. But she's in her laboratory now, stacking a bunch of junk she bought back home."

"Are you kidding me?!" The brunette fumed. "I had to call her a hundred-and-fourteen times before she picked up the phone!"

"What can I say, Akko? I guess we just have a deeper bond," Hannah teased to her friend's chagrin and Lotte and Barbara's amusement.

"Phuh! Sounds to me like someone is jealous because her former roommate spends most of her time with me now. Don't you think, Diana?"

With a smug smile on her face, Akko looked for the person who had just been standing in between Hannah and Lotte only to find she was gone.

"Diana? Huh? Where did she go?"

"I don't know. I was busy arguing with you. You're her roommate now, so you look after her. I know where my roommates are," Hannah sassily replied.

Looking around, Akko finally saw the British prodigy walk towards the Trilogy Of Serenity statue where Miss Finnelan was talking to a large minotaur troll and ran after her.

"Diana! Diana!"

The platinum-blonde witch instantly turned around as she recognized her friend's voice.  
"Akko? What's wrong?"

"That's what I want to know!" The brunette exclaimed as she caught up with her roommate and panted shallowly. "What did you run off for?"

Diana didn't answer immediately and Akko noted how beautiful the taller girl was as her pale skin and long green-tinted hair caught the rays of the sun.

As they both stood and stared at each other in silence the brunette noticed the teacher who more than ever since she and Diana had revived Ygdrassil regularly scolded her to work harder standing behind her friend.

"Did you want to ask Miss Finnelan if she could help you with your dream?"

Diana nodded quietly.

"Oh..."

"I think it is important..."

"You think your dream is connected to the cause of those girl's deaths. Don't you, Diana?"

"Huh?!" Diana exclaimed. Taken aback by her friend's insight.

"You think I didn't notice how tense you've become since we heard that horrible new... rumor at Volch'ya Logovo? You pretend you don't believe in the rumors because you don't want others to live in fear, but I can tell you think something strange is going on. I told you to let me know if something is bothering you! You do so much for me, but you always want to carry every burden on your own. I finally got you to talk to me about what goes on in your family and your worries over... "

"Hihihihi."

Suddenly Diana laughed out loud with a hand before her lips and Akko was silenced as she was every time she saw the usually so serene features of her friend become so animated.

"I'm sorry, Akko. You are right," Diana blushed. "I have been keeping this to myself, and I became increasingly anxious because of it."

"Then tell me what you dreamed of! In detail!" Akko demanded as she took her friend's hands in hers.

"I... I will. Alright. I will ask Miss Finnelan to help me and when she has time I will tell both of you what I saw," The Brit promised with renewed cool.

Seeing her words had reached her friend, Akko nodded and smiled before she left her and walked back to the group they came from.

"Like I told you: I was thinking if we let Luke fall into the sewer after he is transformed he could arrive at the throne room just when Evangeline confronts the Grand High Witch!" Lotte excitedly talked to her roommate when the brunette joined them again.

"Yes! What a great idea! That way he will see the girl he fell in love with becoming the greatest enemy of his family," Barbara laughed.

"That is true. I hadn't thought of that," Lotte chuckled. "He could even help Evangeline win."

"Howdy, Akko," A short Texan with dyed gold-and-green hair who together with her tall Namibian Himba friend was listening to Filiz, Mary, and Nela talk about their band called out to the brunette as she saw her come near.

"Hello, Sheryl. Hello, Uaterereta," Akko greeted both first-years. "I hope you both enjoyed your summer break?"

"Uh-huh. Thanks. Ah didn't go home or anythin'. But we had fun on campus and in Blahtonbury," Sheryl cheerfully said. "Mary, Filiz, and Nela had a small gig in the cafeteria a week ago and we had movie-night and one time we went to Blahtonbury to give the folk yonder a show in the market square. Filiz was amazin'!"

"Yes!" Uaterereta enthusiastically chimed in. "Filiz created an entire puppet theatre out of fire high in the sky. With dragons and faeries. It was like an airborne inferno! We all looked up as if hypnotized. Not even my aunt can do something like that."

"You're just easy to please when it comes to anything involving fire, Uaterereta," Nela snapped at the girl with the red-painted skin. "All Filiz did was create a simple puppet show. It was no big deal."

"U-oh," Sheryl smirked with her left pointer finger to her lips. "Looks like someone's jealous as usual, y'all."

"I'm not jealous!" Nela yelled at the shorter girl with her fist raised. "I'm just telling it like it is!"

"I really liked Nela's war of kites," The object of contention gently interrupted. "It was very colorful and exciting."

Filiz smiled amiably at her roommate who scowled back at her but was silenced nonetheless.

"I think it's great how both of you learned so much in so little time and are so incredibly gifted without any background in magic!" Akko exclaimed. "I still wouldn't be able to put on a show as detailed as what you did sounds. I wish I could. But I'll keep studying hard so one day I can dazzle people just like Shiny Chariot did!" The brunette fist-pumped.

That compliment stunned both Filiz and Nela momentarily.

"Don't sell yourself short, Akko!" Nela protested with vigor. "You did something nobody else could! And you inspired both of us to study into the night every day in order to make you proud! One day you will become the greatest witch who ever lived. If you aren't already."

"Yeah... Nela is right, Akko," Filiz smiled. "You are our example. Thanks to you a world of possibility opened up to me. I barely knew magic existed. Let alone that I could learn it."

Akko smiled at the sparkle she saw in the eyes of her countryman. It always seemed to her that Nela and Filiz were even hungrier than she was to be able to become more adept witches.

"Well, we all draw our inspiration from someone," She smiled proudly.

"Is that so? And who would that be?" A melodious voice sang behind her.

"Chariot!" The brunette exclaimed as she turned around and jumped to embrace her startled hero.

"A... Akko! Be careful! If my uniform gets wrinkled before the ceremony I'd hear no end of it from Miss Finnelan."

"I'm sorry. Hihihi," The Japanese witch chuckled while rubbing the back of her head. "I'm just happy to see you."

"Well, I'm always happy to see you too," Her red-haired teacher smiled. "Especially under the circumstances. I know I'm not supposed to talk about it," Chariot continued with an embarrassed grin. "But after hearing all those terrible things from the headmistress I couldn't help worry about you and the other girls. I hope everyone we still expect will be here by the time of the ceremony."

All of Akko's friends fell silent. Being confronted with a teacher who so openly referred to what they had been speculating about among themselves made the rumors seem more real and threatening.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so foreboding," Chariot desperately tried to salvage the situation. "I'm sure everyone will be alright and we'll all be able to start the new semester and work hard together without a worry in a few days."

She let her eyes wander from left to right over all the girls assembled around Akko and herself in their violet tunics and pointed hats: Barbara, Lotte, Hannah, Amanda and Jasminka who had joined the group while she had been chatting with Akko, Mary...

Then she noticed how intently Filiz was staring at her.

"Oh! That's right," The redhead remembered. "Filiz? You can go up to Miss Holbrooke's office. She wanted to give you the key to the Luna Nova archives you requested permission for."

"Ah! Thank you, Miss Chariot," The ponytailed blackette gratefully smiled.

"Hahaha. I'm sorry really. I almost forgot. And the ceremony is in less than an hour. It's been rather hectic," Chariot laughed nervously.

"Wow! You can read the Luna Alphabet already?" Amanda whistled as Filiz took off toward the nearest entrance to the school's ground-level hallway while giving her a wink.

"Of course Filiz can read in the Luna Alphabet," Sheryl smirked. "She's a genius after all. On a whole nother level than big hat, no cattle here,"

"I can read in the Luna alphabet too," Nela commented. "I've already had permission from headmistress Holbrooke to find and study a work that I was curious in at the Luna Nova archives during summer break. Anything Filiz can do I can too."

"Ya don't say?" Cheryl grinned.

"Of course," The tall blonde Czech replied with a challenging grin as both riled up girls leaned close to each other. "If I'm to have a rival I'll only accept the best. Why would I measure myself up to someone who scores average on everything but magic pharmaceutics? That would be pathetic."

Sheryl gritted her teeth at her defeat while Amanda saved her from having to come up with a comeback.

"Man... They sure hand out that key as if it's nothing these days," The orange-haired second-year sighed while Akko received a message from Andrew on her cellphone and typed in her answer with a big grin on her face.

"What do you expect?" Hannah smirked. "When a school has two prodigies enrolled without a magical background, of course they're going to pamper them."

"Didn't your friend Diana live in a luxurious apartment all to herself last year because she was the school's pride?" Uaterereta deadpanned in response to her senior's jaded words.

At that moment Hannah's pupils dilated and her face turned white at what she saw happen in front of her.

Uaterereta and Sheryl saw it too and all three shrieked in horror, making everyone around them turn around and observe how a large chunk of the third story balcony came tumbling down right above Filiz as she was about to enter the floor-level hallway.

"Filiz!" Akko screamed louder than anyone and in her panic created a powerful magical barrier around the girl who looked up to her so much.

Seeing her friends all scream at her the young witch looked up just when the chunk of debris as large as herself was about a meter above her.

Displaying a presence of mind few would be able to emulate the brunette was just able to create a translucent dome-shaped magical barrier around herself just as the one Akko was creating appeared around it.

As both domes appeared around her the heavy stone debris crashed into them and fell into pieces in the grass.

Filiz allowed herself to sink down into the grass as both magical domes disappeared and watched the pale faces on her roommates Isabelle and Nela who still stood frozen next to Chariot while Mary and Akko of all the girls who ran to her aid reached her first.

"Are you alright?!" Mary exclaimed, trying her best not to yell too loud while laying her left hand on Filiz's right cheek and her right hand on the girl's left shoulder.

"Say something, Filiz!" Akko yelled without even thinking about the volume of her voice as other girls gathered around them and Nela and Isabelle pushed themselves through the crowd.

"Filiz! Filiz!" The latter wept hysterically as she kneeled next to Mary and took her friend's right hand in both of hers. "I was so terrified! I didn't even see what was happening before it was too late. I would have saved you if I had!"

A bright smile appeared on Filiz's face as her eyes stopped wandering over the girls gathered around her and the windows around the courtyard and settled on the yellow-tinted sunglasses her friend with the purple bob habitually wore.

"Yeah..." She said in a soothing voice as she removed those sunglasses and glanced at Mary's concerned face for a second before wiping Isabelle's eyes. "I know you would do everything you can to keep me from getting hurt, dear Isabelle. Don't worry. Everything is alright."

"Are you sure you feel well?" Mary gently inquired. "I think it is best for you to go to your room and maybe skip the ceremony. I am sure the teachers would agree."

"Alright, everyone!" Amanda yelled out at the back of the crowd. "Filiz seems fine, so it'll be best for her now if everyone makes room for her. It's about time we all went to the auditorium anyway wouldn't ya say?"

Back where Chariot was still standing her colleague Samantha Badcock approached the young teacher as she searched the windows around the courtyard.

"I suppose we both noticed this was no accident?" The short turquoise-haired woman quietly inquired as she stood beside her colleague and watched the group of witches and the debris in the grass.

"No," Chariot answered sharply. "When that piece of balcony came down I tried a spell to lift it, but its weight was multiplied a hundred-fold. Far too much for the spell to be useful. A very powerful witch broke that piece of debris from the balcony, masked the magical energy so that nobody would be able to notice what she was doing before Hannah saw what was happening, used a mass-shifting spell to ensure death would be inevitable on impact, and turned the mass of the debris back to normal as soon as it hit the ground to avoid anyone suspecting foul play. If Filiz and Akko hadn't been able to cast two such powerful magical barriers at once so fast the girl's body would have been crushed before I was able to intervene."

"Don't blame yourself," Professor Badcock soothed while adjusting her glasses. "None of us are able to sense the magical energy used even now. The only thing that betrays the would-be murderer was the increased mass of the debris we both noticed while trying to save the girl. To be honest I didn't even know someone could mask the magical residue of a spell to this extent."

"Nor me. Though I have read about certain techniques."

The two teachers watched their pupils slowly disperse and Mary, Filiz, Nela, and Isabelle walked toward the wing where the latter three's room was located on the second floor while Akko ran to meet Diana who just came back from Anne Finnelan who had taken her to the student guidance room to discuss her dream.

"I suppose we can certainly expect a visit from the department of order and protection now?" Chariot asked as she looked down at the woman to her right.

"Just when everything was going so well," Miss Badcock lamented. "Rachel Morgan still hasn't arrived yet after her parents assured us she left their house yesterday around noon. Carmen took Molly to her room and told her roommates the three of them are exempt from compulsory attendance of the entrance ceremony."

"My God... Rachel..." Chariot swallowed. "That would make two victims at Luna Nova. Please let it be just Otyllia. Her death is bad enough."

Samantha Badcock grimaced as all of the girls in the courtyard were now walking towards the hallway to gather in the auditorium on the second floor for the entrance ceremony in half an hour.  
"I fear it is going to cost us a lot of tears and money before we can stop the horrible person who is doing this," She remarked in a dark tone of voice.

* * *

The inside of the Luna Nova archives building was gloomy as usual a week later when Akko and Diana entered it with Anne Finnelan as their guide dressed in their formal tunic and pointed hat.

The inwardly curving fifteen-meters high pillar with its uncountable pigeon-holes loomed high over the three witches as Professor Finnelan closed the six-meters high double-door behind them.

"Why did you close the doors, Miss Finnelan?" Akko tried to ask as respectfully as possible in spite of her slightly irritated incomprehension. "We're never going to find the book you're looking for in this darkness."

"Your eyes will soon get accustomed to the moonlight which comes through the windows above, Miss Kagari," The grave tall brunette quietly replied while Diana, who stood to the right side of her teacher, looked up at the immense structure in front of them.

"I know!" Akko, who was standing to her left, confidently exclaimed as she held her left arm out above. "I'll have this place lit up in no time."

"Nooo!" "Akko!" The Japanese witch's companions yelled in near-terror as they hurriedly stopped the mildly surprised girl.

"No magic in the archives!" Anne sternly warned. "There are many powerful magical items stored in here. There is no telling what effect a simple spell can have on any one of them. If you only concentrate you will sense what magical power is gathered here."

Akko looked at the earnest expressions on the faces of her teacher and her friend and closed her eyes.

Slowly as she emptied her mind the brunette sensed a hundred sources of energy in front of her stacked up to the roof of the building.

"Wow! You're right, Miss Finnelan! I can feel them all! I can feel their power glow like torches. I could even feel souls inside some of them. And the faeries they contain are ancient."

"Very good, Miss Kagari. You have become very sensitive to magical energy. And your ability to communicate with the faeries has taken giant strides," Anne praised as she looked down at her pupil with a pleased smile.

"Now wait here for me!" The woman commanded. "I don't even remember the name of the book in which I read the name Meifa and those grand titles all those years ago. So it will take some time before I find what we are looking for."

Akko and Diana looked up at their teacher who slowly hovered higher and higher around the great pillar on her broom while holding their own vehicles in hand.

"If only Filiz hadn't accidentally dropped the key on her way back from her visit to the archives we could have visited sooner. She's so clumsy," Akko smiled indulgently.

"We cannot blame the event on Filiz's presence of mind alone this time. She was understandably still quite spooked from the incident before the entrance ceremony," Diana commented. "And we cannot entirely discredit her claim of sensing another person shadowing her and being afraid because of the rumors. I would have been nervous too in her situation."

"It was kind of Nela to help her search for the key. They were lucky to find it before she had to return it to headmistress Holbrooke," Akko attempted to lighten the mood again.

Diana returned her friend's smile.  
"But part of her reason for doing so was very obviously so she could upstage Filiz," The Brit grinned.

Both witches burst into a giggle as they remembered in what a smug manner Nela had announced how she had found the key when they came back from searching the surroundings of the archives for the third time.

Finally, it seemed as if Anne Finnelan had found the book they were looking for. The two witches saw their teacher hover ten meters above them while opening a large volume and reading quietly.

"I'm getting a stiff neck from this," Akko complained as she put her hands around her throat as if she was going to strangle herself.

"Why would you look up there the entire time?" Diana coolly demanded. "Professor Finnelan will come down shortly and show us what she found."

True enough, after a few minutes the tall woman descended and brought the book she had found, and which looked strangely familiar to Diana when she saw it from up close, with her.

As she used a simple spell to park her broom upright Anne Finnelan walked to the encircling wall of the building followed by her pupils and placed the book in a stand against the wall.

"This is the Amtide?!" Diana exclaimed in surprise as she recognized the design of a diamond between two opposing triangles superimposed on the nine leaves design of the nine old witches.

"Yes. Your family still possesses Beatrix Cavendish's book."

"But I believed there was only one Amtide! My mother never told me there was a second," The platinum-blonde teen continued.

Anne watched the girl she loved like a mother and smiled amiably as she turned around to face both of the powerful young witches who had come to her for guidance. "There is only one Amtide," She stated.

"Huh?" Akko scratched the back of her head. "But Diana..."

"There is only one Amtide, Miss Kagari. The book was created by the nine old witches as a way to gather all the wisdom each of them possessed. On its creation, it was split into nine books that would always be and always had been exact copies of each other.

The Amtide not only has the power to turn every text written into it that is not a statement of facts into a spell, but everything anyone will ever record into it was already contained there since the beginning of time."

"Wow!" Akko exclaimed, her eyes bright and wide. "It's like a magical internet. Only more amazing."

"Even though I am not fond of the comparison one can indeed liken the Amtide to the internet, yes," Anne rolled her eyes with an indulgent smile.

"Then it was created so the nine old witches could at any time share their knowledge with each other no matter where or when each of them found themselves?" Diana pondered out loud, equally impressed by what she was being told.

"That is correct," Her teacher confirmed.  
"This book belonged to miss Woodward. Your family, Diana, has thankfully not sold off your ancestor's book. There is a book in Germany and one in Angola. One book is kept in the vault of Luna Negra academy and the Thomas family who founded Luna Negra and is still its greatest benefactor is rumored to own another. Which leaves three books still unaccounted... "

"So what about Meifa?"

Anne quietly regarded the short brunette to her left, comforting herself with the knowledge that these days at least that impatience fired the messiah of magic - not that she would ever describe the girl in those terms out loud - on to diligence worthy of her fame.

The tall and dignified woman placed her left hand above the Amtide and closed her eyes.

"Meifa!"

At her mention of the name the book instantly opened onto a page dealing with the subject of negative emotions and their impact on the internal dynamics of Ygdrassil.

"It might be hard to believe for you, Miss Kagari, but when I was a student at Luna Nova I too was possessed by the fiery desire to find the Grand Triskellion and restore magic back to its former glory."

Akko and Diana shared a smile behind their teacher's back as if to say they were not surprised.

"And it is in that pursuit that I found the Amtide here in the Luna Nova archives and found my eyes on that name you came to me with, Diana. A name I had nearly forgotten."

Both young witches on either side of Miss Finnelan moved closer and read with her as she scraped her throat and spoke aloud.

"In time this despair, this suffering, this grief, that humans bring to each other and that they undergo due to the nature of the world if unprotected by the magical community brings forth form.

As these powerful feelings travel through Ygdrassil they cause instabilities within the ley lines.  
These instabilities gather and grow stronger until they become sentient beings.

It is thus that the evil in people's hearts if left unchecked not only creates evil around them but also an equivalent to match it inside Ygdrassil.

Eri, Efu, Oku, and Ehichapu are the names of the enemies of mankind who self-perpetuate their own existence by causing suffering through the proxy of man and nature.

It is in the time that magic is in decline and mankind achieves great technological progress that the magical community finds itself unable to protect the world from destruction through the actions of the Chaos Gods.  
Meifa, The Black Princess/Shrine Maiden Of Salvation, comes to our rescue and holds the Chaos Gods captive in Valhalla."

Diana stood pale, her breathing shallow and nervous as she finished the last lines.

"Hahaha," Akko laughed before she noticed her friend's state. "Leave it to Diana to have friends who are so powerful they own the butts of a bunch of evil Gods... Diana?"

"This does not look good," Anne Finnelan sighed. "If this person warned about events to come, the entire magic community should prepare for the very worst."

"Hold on!" Akko exclaimed, protesting against her friends immediately turning so pessimistic after what they had read. "Meifa is on our side, right? If she has the kind of power this text talks about surely she can protect us from anything."

"I'm not sure Meifa intends to protect us from the future she warned me about, Akko," Diana agitatedly replied with moistened eyes. "She even told me our world is of no importance to her."

"Hang on! I think you are both panicking!" The Japanese witch authoritatively spoke. "Meifa told you several things were going to happen that you would not like, right?"

"Yes," Diana answered, calming down a little as she pulled her eyes away from the pages of the Amtide for the first time and looked her friend in the eyes.'

"She could have been talking about terrible things and we should certainly prepare for that possibility. But this is a person you sought comfort with when your mother passed away. I hope nothing bad happens at all and I will help you all I can whenever you need help! But, Diana, Meifa might just have been talking about things in your personal life that might not go how you want them to."

Diana's cheeks heated up as her friend held her hands and once again made her heartbeat with more life than she imagined was possible before.

"Yes," She wept softly as her face broke into a smile. "That is possible."

"There is no reason to fear that the presence you felt in the ley lines or these horrible mur... deaths are related to what Meifa told you," Akko continued with a smile and a little less fire.

"Terrible things are happening, but we will find a way to stop them!" The brunette energetically exclaimed and punctuated her words with an upward swing of her right arm. "We are the nine new witches and we will make the hopes and dreams of mankind triumph over every evil!"

"Hahaha!" Diana laughed as she wiped her eyes with her left hand. "That is true. Thank you, Akko."

The brunette blushed in turn as her friend suddenly embraced her.

"I was really panicking. Thank you for helping me see things from a different angle," Diana smiled.

"You may very well be right, Miss Kagari," The girls' teacher interrupted not without some appreciation for the friendship that had grown between Luna Nova's most prominent students. "Nevertheless. I think we should inform the Witches Council about this."

"I agree," Diana calmly stated as she let go of her friend. "But I think we should attempt to find out more about Meifa and these Chaos Gods before we do. I will send for my family's Amtide from Cavendish manor and we will study all we can find relating to this entry at leisure in our room."

* * *

 _Tsumugu Kinagase was standing beside the passenger door of a mobile missile launcher truck carrying a bazooka on his shoulders. The tubular shape of a particle beam cannon stood to his right. Both of the large weapons were programmed to fire full power in about a minute at the mohawked man's employer who sat several dozens of meters further up a steep hill at the controls of a large humanoid mech suit which was swaying its arms left and right while from an integrated speaker system Aikuro yelled: "Alright! Give me all you got!"_

"That's what's not going to happen!" The real Tsumugu yelled at the real Aikuro - who was wearing a green leather jacket with a white shawl and blue jeans - while poking his finger at the chest of his wiry employer.  
"This is where you have too much in common with Kinue! Let's not pretend after all that my sister got us to risk her life in that experiment because the future of the world was at stake! She would have done exactly the same if the life fibers were a bunch of traveling clowns from a space-faring circus!"

"I know, Tsu," Aikuro smiled kindly and nodded.

"That's why when we're in a pinch we never ask ourselves: "What would Kinue do?" but we ask ourselves: "What would Isshin do." Because Kinue's answer to "Can you dry a sweater in the microwave?" is "Let's try it! For science!"

Aikuro watched his lover simultaneously grimace annoyedly, wink, stick his tongue out, and flash a V-sign.  
"That was a blast of an experiment though," The blue-haired man laughed.

"I'm wearing Kenuki!" Tsumugu growled threateningly.

"Whatever you say, Tsu."

Aikuro and Kaneo Takarada watched how the burly man in the dark-green vest and pants stepped toward the beige humanoid mech suit with a powerful claw as a left arm which stood a little further at the foot of a sparsely vegetated and rocky hill at the edge of the ghost town Lighting Strike Robotics' funder had closed off for the final field test.  
Tsumugu climbed into the torso and pressed a button to close the translucent dome that served as its head.  
Then Kenuki climbed up the hill in fluid natural steps.

"A bit uptight. Isn't he?" The man with the orange hair and the golden teeth frowned.

"A little bit," Aikuro smiled and pinched the air between the pointer finger and thumb of his right hand. "But totally understandable."

"Very true," The billionaire gravely agreed.  
He was wearing a for him sober ensemble of a green plaid suit with orange lines over a high-collar yellow shirt and several golden chains with ¥ signs.  
"The sacrifices Kinue, Isshin, and their relatives made proved material to save humanity from the threat of the life fibers. But the martyrs are dearly missed by their loved ones.

All right! Give me the controls to the PBC," Kaneo grinned impatiently.

"Let me give you two useful pieces of information! First: You will not allow Takarada to touch anything!" Tsumugu yelled through Kenuki's integrated speaker system after he reached the top of the hill and turned to look down on his business partners.  
"Second: You will deploy each weapon in the agreed-upon order! First fire the bazooka!"

"Got it, Tsu!" Aikuro yelled through a loudspeaker.

The man in the leather jacket and the blue jeans lifted a large bazooka from the ground with the speaker still in his left hand.

"You better step a little closer to the PBC," Aikuro sternly warned the heir to the Takarada conglomerate as he heaved the rocket launcher onto his shoulder.  
"Alright, Tsumugu! You got your way! Now let me have mine!"

The man with the red mohawk grimaced as he heard the earnest request from his lover. He really didn't want to do this, but it seemed he had no choice in the matter now. He would have to endure.  
With a disgusted look, Tsumugu pressed a few commands into the controls of the mech suit he was wearing and yelled his answer to his lover as a leisurely synthesizer melody and gentle hi-hats blasted out of Kenuki's integrated speaker system.  
"I'm ready! Fire!"

With sudden force, the bazooka released its devastating projectile which immediately exploded full force on the torso of the beige mecha on the hilltop.

"Tsumugu! How are you doing?!" Aikuro yelled through the speaker as loud as he could while the dust settled around the battle suit that had taken the explosion unflinchingly.

The song blasting through Kenuki's sound system answered him before Tsumugu did: "Harder, better, faster, stronger…"

"I'm fine! Kenuki didn't take any damage! I think we're ready to take on the missiles!"

"Alright, guys!" Aikuro yelled as he turned to the EDF soldiers in the desert camouflaged mobile missile launcher truck Kaneo was able to "rent" for the day. "Let him have it!"

One of the missile racks launched all of its content at the mech suit standing on the hilltop.  
While most exploded onto his body without causing any damage Kenuki grabbed one of the missiles with its claw arm, rotated 360 degrees around its waist, and threw the missile against the opposing hilltop where the explosion left a large crater.

"Time for the particle beam cannon!" Kaneo laughed as he took place in the seat behind the controls of the PBC and looked up at the three meters long tubular cannon that rose up from its rotating platform.  
The billionaire pulled a handle and giggled with glee as the flashing red of the translucent cannon signaled it was powering up.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Takarada. But I'm going to have to request that you leave that seat."

Kaneo looked to his left through his orange-tinted sunglasses and saw Aikuro point the bazooka at his face.

"I am the only person who is allowed to use a cannon on Tsumugu," The blue-haired man smirked as the light shone on his pearly white teeth.

"You have never fired a cannon as big as mine," Kaneo grinned as the sunlight flashed upon his shiny golden teeth.

"Maybe so. But I know how Tsu wants to be fired upon."

Kaneo grudgingly accepted defeat and stepped out of the army-green weapon while Daft Punk's hit still played through the sound system of its target.

The CEO of Lightning Strike Robotics confidently took place behind the glowing cannon and put his finger to the trigger button. "I hope you're ready, Tsu," He smiled

A bright white energy ray jetted out of the tubular weapon and hit the beige mech suit on the hill.

"Are you alright, Tsu?!" Aikuro yelled through his loudspeaker not without concern.

"No damage! Keep up the heat!"

Aikuro frowned at the spot on the battle suit's torso that was targeted by his cannon's beam. Several minutes went by until he noticed the steadily shrinking bar of the cannon's energy gauge.

"Tsumugu! I'm going to stop firing! The PBC is nearly out of energy! Is there still no damage?!"

"No! Nothing! The surface-heat sensors are registering a marginal increase!"

"That's fantastic!"

Aikuro switched off the Particle Beam Cannon and stepped out of its seat to take place to Kaneo's right.  
"It's time for the performance tests now!" He yelled at his partner. "Show us what Kenuki can do!"

The beige mecha bent its knees and instantly jumped up high in the sky.

It landed gently on the rocky hilltop on the other side of the ghost town in a heroic landing pose and punched into the mound, which caused the entire hill to break into pieces and fall apart in an avalanche.

As the mount he had just destroyed crumbled underneath him a pair of thrusters on Kenuki's shoulders burst into action and in an instant, the mech suit stood still next to Kaneo and Aikuro while one of the EDF soldiers whistled in awe.

Aikuro placed a single egg on the ground which Kenuki picked up in its claw arm and handed him in hand without breaking.

Then Kenuki walked up to an M1A2 Abrams tank which stood next to the mobile missile launcher truck and gripped into it with claw and hand.  
The sound of screeching metal ripped through the valley as the music came to an end, and, in a few seconds, Kenuki tore a hole into the armored vehicle that could fit two men.

Tsumugu walked his mech suit toward his friends who were applauding him enthusiastically.

"That was fantastic!" Kaneo exclaimed. "I think we can be confident Lightning Strike Robotics more than succeeded in its mission. But to be certain that this mech suit can truly hold its own against attacks from life fiber-enhanced beings we are going to have to hold the ultimate test."

"I don't think it will be of much use to perform the ultimate test," Aikuro stated with a severe look at his company's financer in his green jacket and blue jeans while his shawl flapped in the wind.  
"We will never know whether our mech suits can really be a match for the life fibers until they have to be. We built the best weapon we could and we can't do more than that."

"What's with that defeatist talk?!" the heir of the Takarada conglomerate angrily retorted. "We have to go to the limit of possibility if we want to make sure we survive another invasion! I will get you a stuntman, a criminal on a death sentence, or a person with a terminal illness if you want, but we have to do this test if we want to know whether we even stand a chance!"

"It's alright," Tsumugu said from inside Kenuki. "All our tests and calculations prove the mech suit can take it. But Kaneo's right. We have to test this thing to the limits of our possibilities. Let's do this."

Aikuro showed his lover a dismayed look. "I hope you know what an unbelievable hypocrite you are for doing this," The blue-haired man said.

His mohawked business partner sighed.

"I know I'm being selfish," Tsumugu answered

Aikuro waited. When his lover didn't add anything more he stepped forward and confronted the two-and-a-half meters tall Kenuki.  
"That's the best you can do after practically forbidding me to wear the suit for the test because you don't want anything to happen to me but you just as unanimously decide to risk your life where nobody can reach you if anything goes wrong?!"

"Basically: yes," Tsumugu calmly responded. "No... I will tell you not to worry. Because if anything goes wrong I won't be able to be with you anymore. And I won't allow that."

Aikuro blushed slightly and slowly his expression changed into a grin. "This is unfair in every way," He muttered. "I love you, Tsu."

Kenuki moved as if startled.

"Did you hear that!" Tsumugu yelled at Kaneo and the soldiers. "That's only the fifth time since we started dating that this stingy deviant told me he loves me!"

Aikuro just stood there and laughed out loud while rubbing the back of his head. "Some words are best left for special occasions, Tsu."

"I love you too, Aikuro. See you soon."

The thrusters attached to Kenuki's shoulders activated and in less than a second the mecha shot up into the sky and was out of sight.

In a minute or two Kenuki had reached the exosphere and was still flying higher while Tsumugu saw the earth grow smaller and smaller on the screen of his control panel.

Only when he had penetrated deep into interstellar space and was nearly halfway to Venus did Tsumugu slow down and allowed his mech to float around.

He would have to wait a while for them to locate him. Meanwhile, he could enjoy the amazing experience of being out in space.

The brawny man with the red mohawk carefully checked the gauges on Kenuki's control panel.  
He still had more than enough power to get back to earth. The beautiful blue orb that was his home was clearly visible in front of him with the Great Pacific and his mother country visible through the tufts of white that dotted the surface.

For a moment Tsumugu had the uncanny feeling that he was being observed, but of course, if all was going well, he was.

Next to earth was its loyal companion the moon, marred by that strange scar which scientists recently came to the conclusion must have been caused by a coronal mass ejection.  
Because of the fact that the concerning "discovery" had been made sometime after the signing of the International Accord for the Regulation of Practical Magic, however, Tsumugu was one of the people who quietly believed witches were in some way involved.

The knowledge that witches existed did worry Tsumugu a little, but if Ryuko was to be believed they were an okay bunch.  
And if the news was to be believed witches were going to work side by side with doctors to try and put a stop to the horrible epidemic in the Arab world.

The scarred veteran of the war against the life fibers couldn't help but be struck by a burst of optimism as he watched the world he had sworn to protect from such a great distance.

"Isshin… Kinue… If only you were alive to witness the world we are living in now. A world where man is not worn by his clothes, where science and magic work together, where former enemies are providing relief aid to one another. What a wonderful world this can be."

A sensor suddenly alerted the man in the dark-green military wear that the nuclear missile he had been waiting for was quickly approaching from that wonderful world to destroy the extra-terrestrial object in its path.  
Tsumugu braced himself and with a dogged expression on his face repeated his resolve to see his lover again before the missile exploded upon impact with the Lighting Strike Robotics mech suit.

Aikuro paced back and forth next to the mobile missile launcher truck while his company's financer sat in the seat of the PBC working on a laptop.

"What are you so impatient for?" The latter asked. "They said the target survived the impact and started to move toward earth a few minutes afterward. Tsumugu is fine."

"That's great, Kaneo. But I want to see him with my own eyes."

Kaneo Takarada grimaced at the man who would surely rival him in flamboyance if he had equal funds.

"He's coming!" One of the EDF soldiers in the missile truck announced.

"You see?" Kaneo grinned. "Then it's time for the final test. Fire the missiles in the second rack!" He told the soldiers who nodded their understanding.

As the missiles came directly at Kenuki the mech suit grabbed a grenade launcher attached to its upper leg and as agreed upon destroyed every missile in lighting quick succession before making a gentle landing next to the tan missile truck.

"Alright. Now I'm getting out of this tin can!" Tsumugu yelled through the speaker system.

Aikuro watched with a grin how his lover crawled out of the mech suit.  
He took the white shawl from around his neck and swung it around Tsumugu's neck before drawing the tired man with the mohawk closer for a kiss.

"Thanks for being true to your word," He said as both men shared a grin.

"Congratulations!" Kaneo cheered as he applauded his business partners.

Hearing an increasingly loud droning hum, the heir to the Takarada conglomerate looked above and saw the bright yellow helicopter with his family's name on the side which he had called for descending toward him.

"Great work, everybody!" He quickly continued. "With mech suits like this, we will definitely increase our chances of victory if we ever become the target of another invasion. I want you to begin production of the other three units right away. I have to leave now. Our EDF friends will clean up after us. Thanks for everything guys and girl,"

The boisterous orange-haired man showed a pleased smile at his partners and the soldiers as he stepped into the helicopter that had come to fetch him and after the door of the vehicle was closed behind him the yellow chopper flew off into the distance.

As soon as it was out of sight Aikuro, Tsumugu, and the soldiers started to work together, loading the particle beam cannon, the wrecked tank, as well as Kenuki onto their respective trucks.

It was a lot of work, but after today all the work they had done had been more than worth it and they all labored in good cheer.

Sometime later all the trucks left the site with their loads.

Everyone who had been present during the tests was convinced that they had witnessed the abilities of a new superweapon that would be able to stand against anything that might threaten their mother country.

This had been a thrilling day for all of them. Each and every one of them went home with a renewed sense of safety.  
And all of them were utterly unaware that the man who had flown Kenuki into interstellar space was still being followed by two crimson eyes in the sky.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	6. Chapter 6

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

Ryuko Matoi was feeling pretty good about herself, sitting on the terras of a cozy cake shop in a picturesque shopping street with the afternoon sun shining above.

The frightening news reports about the growing epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula and the massive crop failure and food shortage in Europe could easily be forgotten on such a beautiful day with a pocket full of money and no time to keep.

And what made things even better was that the Diplomatic trip her sister and Rei were undertaking had become a big success.

Apart from the state of affairs in Europe and the Persian Gulf, it felt like the world was living in a dream. Not only had the Root Of Origin project managed to convince business leaders and governments over the world of its feasibility. A new sense of cooperation seemed to have been born between governments and the news was rife of peace talks and nations coming together to work out long-standing disputes.

The terras she was sitting at was really cute, with small round black-and-white checkered tables, white square plates which held chopsticks between a couple of pawns, and a black teacup in the shape of a tower.

As the blackette with the red streak in her hair happily munched on her cake she noticed a few pieces of crumb falling on her jeans shorts.

Looking to her right at the young couple feeding each other she tried to wipe the crumbs away as discreet as possible, not noticing how the elderly lady to her left was ogling the cleavage of her low-cut black T-shirt.

Life was sweet and the tea Ryuko was drinking was even sweeter. And it wasn't that horrible new-fangled Perfect Fusion crap the Mankanshoku's kept pouring into her lately. She could tell.

When she finally finished her tea and cake the blackette put her arms through her long-sleeved red jeans coat and went on her way.

Next week Satsuki, Rei, Ira, and Soroi would be back and after allowing the four a well-deserved rest, their friends had decided to throw them a party to congratulate them on their success.

Ryuko passed an old lady in a dark-green dress with her grey hair in a bun sitting on a bench at a bus stop.

She had missed her sister.

Once they had stood against one another with drawn weapons, ready to take the other's life because of the lies spun by their parents.

But these last years they had seized every opportunity to reclaim their bond as sisters:

Making dinner and watching quietly or make suggestions while Satsuki was studying or planning with Rei.

Getting caught off guard by an amazing and very expensive birthday party Satsuki threw for her.

Going to attractions parks and the beach together because Ryuko made it clear to her sister she has to unwind now and then.

Beating Satsuki in an arcade and trying to sneak out after damaging one of the machines because they were playing so furiously.

Going shopping together and picking each other's dresses.

Watching sad or hilariously bad movies together.

Getting the jitters whenever Ryuko heard a sound while reading one of Satsuki's crazy collection of horror stories together.

Using her holidays to act as bodyguard alongside Ira Gamagoori and escort Satsuki and Rei on one of their research trips.

Everything they had done together had been fun. Every day had been wonderful.  
Ryuko's lonely days were gone for good.

Wandering around aimlessly the public greenery worker turned a corner to her right and found herself in an empty cul-de-sac with two small boutiques painted and decorated in green and pink pastel colors.

The pink one had a large collection displayed outside.

The green one had a beautiful old fashioned display window with mannequin dolls.

Ryuko was drawn to the mannequin in the right-hand display window which was dressed up in a sexy short-sleeve short black dress with delicately buttoned-up cleavage.

The fabric looked very soft and comfortable.

It was the kind of dress you would cherish but would want to wear all the time. Around her neck, the mannequin wore a cute silk red scarf that perfectly complemented the dress.

Ryuko imagined wearing that beautiful dress would make her feel like she was radiating confidence and beauty.  
As if the word would drop to its feet at the sight of her.

If she could have that dress she wouldn't need anything ever again.

A teardrop fell down on the toes that came peeping through her black sandals.

Ryuko swallowed and wiped her moist eyes.

"For God's sake. What's wrong with me?! These past weeks I've been a mess."

The blackette took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face.

'Yeah. That's it!' She thought to herself. 'Soon Satsuki will be back home and I'll be alright again. I've just been missing my sister. That's all.'

"Heeey... Matoi! Are you gonna buy or what?"

"What's the matter? Haven't got any money?"

It had been over four years and she had fought far more powerful villains since then. But Ryuko's instincts still associated the voices she suddenly heard calling out to her now with mortal danger.

With a jerk, she turned to her left and as her body tensed for a fight she saw the three most vicious bullies she had known in her school life walking toward her.

Spearheading the trio was the oldest Osdemir daughter, Zeynep. A merciless tyrant who used to control the entire high school Ryuko attended before she went to Honnoji.

The confidently smirking young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair that enveloped her head like a helmet was wearing a silver T-shirt with a single long black sleeve on her right arm and red horizontal stripes around her abdomen. Her long legs were covered in long black trousers.

Flanking her on the right was Yigit, her only brother.

The young man with the short black hair was as vicious as his sister but a loose cannon whom Zeynep constantly had to keep in check and who was always trying to usurp her leadership. He was wearing a red high-collared shirt with long blue sleeves and a pair of white pants over blue shoes.

Behind Zeynep walked perhaps the most dangerous of the trio: Zeynep's taciturn and cunning enforcer, Berren. The girl with the long loose dark-brown hair and the yellow uni-lens sunglasses wore a long short-sleeve purple summer dress.

Once the group had approached to about three meters of Ryuko Berren walked up to the house opposite the shops and watched the street they came from.

Zeynep's younger sister was impossible to read and was fiercely loyal to her. Berren was probably the only reason her older brother and sister hadn't killed each other yet.

"Ryuko Matoi!" Zeynep laughed. "What a pleasure to find you here. "We all expected you had done away with yourself for fear of what we were going to do to you."

"Fear you, Zeynep?" Ryuko laughed. "I don't usually waste my life on the haughty delusions of a bunch of spoiled children. Have you taken anyone out to dinner these days?"

Zeynep chuckled coldly at the allusion to her favorite torture method of force-feeding her victims.

"You got a big mouth, you ugly bitch," Yigit said with a foul look. "Tell you what? How about I give you that beating you missed out on right now?"

"I wouldn't if I were you, Yigit," Ryuko warned as the young man came closer and pulled two halves of a billiard cue from a soft cue case that hung over his shoulder. "Trust me. I am way out of your league now."

After taking two steps toward his opponent Yigit saw his sister extend her right arm toward him.

"Dear sister. If you want to keep the use of your arm kindly remove the insulting limb."

"Hahaha," Zeynep laughed. "Yigit. Do not test my good mood. This is not the day I will break Ryuko's mind and body."

"And you think you will decide that? We have her cornered with nobody around. This is the perfect opportunity to punish her for trying to make trouble for us in high school."

"As your loving sister I advise you to listen to reason," Berren suddenly coldly spoke up from her look-out position. "Now we have found Ryuko she will know that we can strike at her and the people she associates with whenever we want. The punishment we meet out to her will be far more lasting than a few broken limbs."

"That is right, Ryuko. You wouldn't want anyone to suffer what happened to Sachihiro after you disappeared. Do you?" Zeynep grinned and lowered her arm as her brother pocketed his cues.

Ryuko remembered the boy she had tried to protect from the Osdemirs and felt her blood boil.

"What did you do to him, you monster," The blackette growled.

"Oh. I'm afraid Sachi learned not to play with knives. Or rather, he learned not to make others play with knives around him," The blonde grinned.

"Pity Filiz went and whined to father who told you to lay off him," Yigit smirked in satisfaction at being able to humiliate his older sister.

"Good on you, Filiz," Ryuko murmured, happy that her defiant young friend who seemed the only Osdemir with a moral compass had managed to save the boy she had failed in her pursuit of her father's murderer.

"Indeed," Zeynep snapped with an annoyed grimace. "Daddy just can't say no to his little girl. Luckily I have my own way to get what I want from him," The blonde smiled cruelly. "And I can tell you not to count on Filiz to save you now. My dear little sister got it into her mind to become a witch and play with the faeries. So daddy sent her far away to some British magic school so she can play to her heart's content."

"Good," Ryuko smiled, thinking she might have unwittingly become friends with some of Filiz's new schoolmates. "That'd keep her away from your bad influence."

"We should be on our way," Berren remarked. "Mother asked us to be home in time for dinner."

Ryuko, Yigit, and his older sister turned their gazes toward the thirty-something couple that came walking into the cul-de-sac and saw them discover the shops.

"Yes. We really should," Zeynep agreed, her smiling blue eyes shining like steel. "This was an unexpected but very enjoyable reunion. Another time, Ryuko."

"See you later, Zeynep," The blackette smiled as the three Osdemirs turned around and left her, Yigit throwing her a filthy look as he turned the corner.

Four years ago Ryuko might have said the wrong things in this kind of situation.  
Four years ago this situation might have turned very ugly.

It was strange how gaining so much physical strength had made Ryuko mentally stronger too. Or maybe it was her new friends and family who had helped her gain that mental strength.

While taking a roundabout way home and looking around her Ryuko pondered how dangerous things could become now the Osdemirs had found her.

She could have easily bested those three high-class delinquents. A good beating might have robbed them of the idea that they could do anything to her. But that might only have hurt their ego and made them thirst for revenge.

Revenge they would have been sure to exact on anyone who even remotely mattered to her.

She didn't need to worry about her sister, Rei or the former student-council members. Each of them would be able to handle themselves against the three Osdemirs.

But her colleagues at work or the Mankanshokus might be at risk. She should warn them that there were people out to hurt her friends in order to get back at her for a past grievance.

When Ryuko walked through the glass sliding doors of the building that was the business and home of two families she was happy to see Guts walk in with her and picked the dog up, chuckling as he licked her face.

She walked past the open dark oak door of the waiting room to her left and opened the next door.

Saturday evening at the Mankanshoku's always smelled like bliss.

Guts jumped out of her arms and ran to the overloaded low round table in the middle of the large western style living room with light-beige painted walls.

A flat-screen television stood on a little table against the way to the left.  
Against the far wall was an open cabinet stacked with DVDs and one with books. And the wall to the right, the dark oaken door of which led to the kitchen, was decorated with a bunch of pictures of the Mankanshoku's, the Kiryuin's and their friends.

"Ah, Ryuko!" Sukuyo smiled gently with her salmon-colored apron over a light-green dress as she entered the living room from the kitchen and placed the last bucket of mystery croquettes on the pale-brown table  
"Right on time for dinner as usual. There aren't many greater compliments to a housewife."

"I'll give you a greater compliment tonight, Mrs. Mankanshoku!" Barazo exclaimed as he burst through the door behind Ryuko in blue and brown checkered suspended shorts and a light-blue sleeveless shirt, kissed his wife and sat down at the table laying his paws on a croquette.

"Oh dear," His beautiful wife chuckled. "I look forward to it. But watch your manners and wait for everyone else to be seated," She added as she slapped his hand and folded her apron before bringing it to the kitchen.

"Oh! Hello, Ryuko! I didn't see you there," Barazo greeted the girl who was like an adopted daughter to him.

"Hahaha. Hello Mr. Mankanshoku," His young friend grinned. "How was your day?"

"Aaah! A tough day. A tough day indeed. I've had to perform several complicated operations..."

"I told you before: You shouldn't operate on people here," Ryuko sweated. "Satsuki will evict you if you get her in trouble."

"Who said anything about people?" The obese man laughed. "But you are right of course. Now that I've been able to build a sufficient client-base I shouldn't occupy myself with those things anymore."

"Alright! Mystery croquettes and udon noodles! My favorites!"

Ryuko and Barazo saw the doctor's children storm through the door and sit at the table followed by Nonon who was wearing black leggings, a black-and-white striped long-sleeve T-shirt, and a green beret with the head of a monkey on it.

"Hello, Ryuko. Had a nice day?" The pinkette kindly asked as she sat down in between Barazo and his daughter with a dignified air.

"Yeah. Sure did," Ryuko grinned and sat down on the other side of her former classmate, observing her green shorts and a yellow T-shirt. "But I did have a run-in with a few dangerous types from my former high school afterward."

"Did you beat them up?" Mataro, who was sitting to her right winked.

"No, you delinquent," The public greenery worker in the jeans shorts and the red vest over a black top smirked. "But I'm worried about you lot now because they threatened to hurt the people I care about. So I want you all to make sure watch your backs when you go out and be on your guard around strangers."

"Yes mom," Nonon dryly replied. "Are these people so dangerous?"

"Not to you perhaps," Ryuko said while she took off her vest. "But they were the top dogs in school and weren't shy of torture or other extremely violent methods to make sure everyone stayed in line."

"Alright, everyone!" Sukuyo came into the room again in her light-green dress with a gilded tray full of steaming teacups for everyone. "Today I thought we could have some mint tea with our dinner. Be sure to smell the tea bag to enhance the experience."

"Geez!" Ryuko sighed. "What's with your tea-obsession lately, Sukuyo. You've been at it for weeks."

"Keep your manners, greenskeeper," Nonon scolded her. "Be grateful I don't have to cook for us."

"Hey, Mataro!" The father of the University freshman with the ponytail in the beige trousers and white shirt called while pointing at the television set. "Put the news on. They'll show Satsuki and Rei with the US President in a minute."

"Why don't you do it? You're closer."

"Hmpf. Very well."

Barazo got up, got the remote from the little table and switched the set on before sitting down and grabbing a croquette with his chopsticks.

"Dad just put a croquette in his mouth, everybody!" Mataro announced. "It's Go-time!"

As the television showed Satsuki, Rei and the American president sitting in the beige sofas of the oval office the extended Mankanshoku family threw themselves on the food Sukuyo had prepared for them. "Look how cool the old guy looks," Mataro chuckled as Soroi approached the President dressed in a simple dark-blue kimono with a rounded-off cylinder-shaped wooden tea caddy in his hands and invited him to inhale the fragrance of the matcha powder.

Nonon and Ryuko observed how all of the Mankanshoku's suddenly became silent and watched how the most powerful man in the world sniffed the odor of the tea that would be prepared for him.

Next, Soroi offered Satsuki and Rei to do the same while the announcer talked about how the three would be enjoying an informal version of the traditional Japanese tea-ceremony before discussing the Root Of Origin project behind closed doors.

"What a time to be alive!" Sukuyo exclaimed in genuine excitement as she drank her own tea.

* * *

"What... a... time... to be... alive..." Barazo Mankanshoku sighed several hours later while he was busy complimenting his wife on her skill and hard work in maintaining and running their household.

"Haaah... Oh dear... It's as if... you are twenty again..." Sukuyo whispered and caressed her husband's hair and cheeks while he moved with her legs around his waist.

The sudden ringtone of her smartphone startled them both. Not least because it was Ryuko's rocking ringtone.

Barazo relaxed and sighed heavily as he read the look in his wife's eyes.

The disappointed brunette underneath him turned her face to the right and grabbed the phone.  
"Hello, Ryuko. Is anything the matter dear?" She asked kindly. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

There was a short silence on the other side of the line.

"Mrs. Mankanshoku... I apologize for bothering you at this hour," Ryuko said in a quiet monotone voice. "But do you have any idea why my pillow is stuffed with tea bags?"

Sukuyo and her husband looked one another in the eyes for about half a minute.

"Those aren't tea bags, dear. It's lavender. It'll help you get a nice refreshing sleep," The brunette replied.

The Mankanshoku's heard an exasperated sigh from the other side.

"Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Mankanshoku. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear Ryuko. Sleep well."

When she heard the connection had been disconnected Sukuyo heaved a deep sigh and felt disappointed in her skill as a housewife for the first time in her life.

"Oh dear," She told her husband who returned her concerned look. "I think we better let Hoka and Sucy know that we might have a problem."

* * *

Sophia Stathakis leaned against the oak-paneled wall of the north hallway on the second floor. Her mind engaged with a melody she was idly humming, the large-framed Greek tapped her foot rhythmically on the crimson carpet while she had her muscular arms crossed before her large breasts.

Sophia came from an old family of Greek witches but her mother nor aunts had gone to magic school. All that she knew had been taught her by her grandmother.

The main reason Sophia was interested in magic was to increase her chances to get a nice cushy job. The magic community was good at taking care of their own. It sucked that they didn't have a rugby team at Luna Nova but she had found a team in Blytonbury willing to let her join.

In a few years, when she graduated, she would apply for a job at the supernatural defense division of the department of order and protection. A life of exercise, study, and leisure was just her thing.

The sight of a small redheaded second-year with a funny hairdo coming round the corner brought a vicious grin to the face of the Greek.

"Hey, you there!" Sophia called out at the girl who had passed her by and was walking toward the other side of the hallway.

The jittery creature turned around with a frightened look in her red rabbit-like eyes. Such a ridiculously small thing.

"What is your name?" Sophia asked with a threatening glare.

"Ma... My… My name?... is Sóla," The little rabbit-girl stuttered.

"Is it now?"

Sophia grinningly watched the squirming redhead intently for a few seconds. It was funny to see her pale face grow positively white and her eyes widen in sheer terror. This girl was really easily intimidated.

"C… can I go n…"

"What?!"

Sóla flinched. The expression on her face was hilarious.

"What did you say?" Sophia repeated in a normal tone as she approached the girl who was looking at her in such a frightened way with an amused and, to Sóla, terrifying smile. "Where do you want to go?"

Sophia put her arm around the shaking shoulders of the girl half her size. Sóla was too frightened to look at anything but the crimson carpet.

"I… I need t… to… in.. interview."

"Oh! You are going to get questioned by the women from the Witches Council? I bet you're really nervous, right?" She roughly patted the Icelander on the back.

Sóla couldn't think rationally by now. It was happening again. And she had practiced so many times in front of the mirror to speak her mind.

"Say, I don't think those women will mind if you're a little late. I feel kind of thirsty. How about you go and get us both a glass of lemonade at the cafeteria and we have a drink to celebrate our getting to know each other."

"B… but...I…" Sóla tried, coming close to tears.

"But?" Sophia frowned and turned the Icelander's frightened face upwards with her left hand while leaning close. "Surely you don't want to upset a new friend by refusing to have a drink together?"

"Hey there!" Someone with an American accent called out from behind Sophia's broad back.

The Greek with the three silver pigtails on either side of her face turned around with her right arm around the shoulders of her cringing victim, while Sola sadly reprimanded herself for needing to be saved from the situation.

"I've heard of you," Amanda O'Neil said as she walked up to the duo. "Sophia, isn't it? It's kinda hard to get around unnoticed when you're such a big girl. No offense."

"Yeaaah," Sophia grinned. "And who might you be?"

"Ow… You seriously don't know me? That's a bit of a blow to my ego," The athletic orange-haired girl faked her disappointed expression. "But I've got an idea. I'll tell you my name if you do something for me.  
See, my friend here doesn't seem to be feeling very happy with the situation she's in. How about I ask her if she likes the way you're talking to her and if she says no you let her go on her way. Alright? "

"Whatever are you talking about?" Sophia smiled. "Sóla and I are best buddies. Right, Sóla? She's a bit of a quiet mouse. Isn't she. But we're having a great time together."

"I don't think she is," Amanda showed the larger girl a serious look. "But I think Sóla is more than capable of telling us how she feels. What do you say, Sóla?"

The timid redhead clenched her teeth and ventured to look her roommate in the eye.

"Do you want to talk to Sophia, yes or no? I know you can tell us."

Sola looked into Amanda's kind smiling eyes. She felt some of her friend's strength inside of her.

"N… no," She said while tears trickled from her eyes.

"That's all you have to say," Amanda smiled. "Well done, Sóla. You can be proud of yourself. You did something you weren't able to before. Now you know you are.  
And now you can let her go, right?" The American winked at the silver-haired girl in front of her. "My friend's got someplace to be. I'm Amanda O' Neill by the way. I can spend some time with you. I'm great fun."

"I bet," Sophia smiled viciously as she let loose of the smaller girl next to her who was smiling at her friend through her tears and walked up to Amanda.

"Let's have a little talk then."

The large Greek grabbed Amanda by the collar and slammed her into the wall.

"What's your problem? Why can't you mind your own business?" She grinned with her face close to the American's.

"Am… manda!" Sóla squeaked.

"Don't worry, Sóla. You know I can take care of myself. And if things go awry I'll teleport to the Headmistress's office," Amanda grinned at the Greek. "Though that's not really my style.  
You have to go to the interview room, Sóla. They're waiting for you."

Sola waited with a frightened look in her eyes. She knew Amanda would be able to hold her own against the big brute that was threatening her. But this was her fault for being so weak.

"Go now, Sóla. It's alright. We'll talk about this and your interview later."

Still, the redheaded girl couldn't move from her place.

Amanda pushed back against her opponent and showed Sóla a confident smile as both girls struggled.

"Go now, Sóla. I've got everything under control here."

The Icelander smiled and turned around, running to the interview room at the other end of the hallway. She took a last look at her friend who was still struggling against Sophia, knocked on the door and entered.

Only then Amanda allowed her muscles to relax and Sophia pushed her into the wall again. She knew she might beat the bigger girl with a few tricks, but that first-year with the strange hairdo sure had some muscle in her body.

"Why are you being so nasty?" The American asked. "Do you get so much pleasure from bullying girls who don't know how to speak their mind?"

"Don't you think that little rabbit is a ton of laughs?" Sophia smirked. "I bet you've played your share of jokes on her. I can imagine how funny it would be to scare her in the dark. Or to spook her by showing up where she doesn't expect me."

"You seem like a worse villain than I hoped," Amanda said in a threatening voice. "I would have thought you learned your lesson. I don't know any particulars, but I remember hearing something about you and some of your friends getting quite a thrashing when you tried to bully some other first-year."

To Amanda's surprise, the thuggish girl holding her up by the collar suddenly turned pale and trembling. The American slipped from her assailant's grip and saw Sophia sink to her knees.

"I… I'm sorry…" The big brute hyperventilated. "I'll stay out of her way. I w… won't ever b… bother her…"

"Wow! Are you alright?" Amanda kneeled down next to the silverette in concern and lay her hand on Sophia's shoulder.

The Greek pushed her away violently, causing the orange-haired witch to roll onto her back. To Amanda's further consternation the larger girl yelled at her with streaming eyes.

"Just promise me neither of you will tell anyone about this! I'll do anything you want!"

"Okay. Okay. Don't worry," Amanda said and sat up with a shocked look in her eyes at the sight of the large brute turned into such a terrified heap.

"H… Hey… If something is scaring you, you can tell me. I'll help you," She said in a comforting tone and touched the Greek's right hand.

"You wouldn't believe how many ways there are to cause a person indescribable amounts of pain without leaving a mark," Sophia remembered hearing when her hand felt like it was broken into a thousand pieces at that time.

"Nooo!" She yelled and jumped back in terror.

Amanda felt more pity for the girl than she ever felt for her timid roommate.

"Alright," She soothed. "I won't touch you again and I will get Sóla to keep what happened a secret. But I want you to know that I will help you if tell me what you are so scared of."

That answer helped Sophia to start getting a hold of herself. She rested her forehead against the carpet, looking as if she was praying to Amanda.

"Just go…" The Greek sighed.

The orange-haired American got to her feet and creased out her uniform before looking at the softly weeping Sophia.

"Alright… But remember what I said. I can be your friend if you want me to be."

Then she walked out the hallway in the direction Sola had gone.

Left alone, Sophia nursed her unharmed right hand with her left one, still shaking.

"You belong to me now, Sophia," She remembered.

"Y… You b… bitch," She sissed while balling her right fist.

Thinking of the shoreline in her seaside hometown gradually calmed the girl down and after some time she managed to control her shaking body. But what she couldn't get over was the knowledge of how trapped she was. She had to find a way to beat her tormentor. She had to find a way.

The Greek witch slowly moved into a sitting position and wiped the tears from her eyes, breathing slowly.

"You know you brought this on yourself," She heard a voice that made her jump say.

Turning her eyes up in a flash, Sophia found herself looking at the yellow-tinted sunglasses of the clearly displeased Isabelle Hochedé.

* * *

About twenty minutes later Isabelle stood in front of the arched door to Diana, Akko, and Mary's luxurious room.

She should have joined her roommates here earlier. Mary always made a big deal of having all three of them with her when they had the girls who were connected to the murdered students join them in all kinds of activities or when the four of them just simply sat by and kept their grieving schoolmates company.

She was about to turn the gilded doorknob when the door opened from the inside and Akko stood before her with Diana by the hand in their buttoned violet jackets and capes.

"Oh! Hi, Isabelle," The brunette cheerfully greeted her underclassman.

"Hello, Isabelle," Diana added.

"Hi, Akko. Hello, Diana," The girl with the yellow-tinted shades smiled. "Are you going out?"

"We sure are!" Akko said and grinned at an awkwardly blushing Diana standing to her left. "All study and no play makes Diana a sad puppy, so we are taking a break from Chaos-God hunting and are off to visit the autumn fair in Blytonbury."

"Hi, Isabelle!" Filiz called out from farther in the room. "Nela is here too. Are you looking for us?"

Isabelle took a step closer and watched over Akko's shoulder into the room with the dark cyan walls, the burgundy carpet, and the two quadruple-transomed chamber-high double-arched windows with heavy burgundy curtains that had a tall yucca standing in between them at the far end of the apartment.

Filiz was sitting in the center of the lime-green sofa in the middle of the room and was about to wave at her roommate but luckily caught her teacup which she nearly swung off the large round coffee table in front of her in the process. To the left of the French girl's lively roommate sat Avery and Gaelle Muller who were both looking up at Akko and Diana. To her right sat Molly Morgan, who was in deep thought over a piece of paper on the table. While Nela sat next to the long-haired blackette in a fauteuil that matched the color of the sofa.

To Isabelle's right were two large, near room-height, cabinets stacked with books which functioned as a divider wall. And to her left and half-hidden from sight by Akko and the door, against the wall on that side, where the paper-strewn reading desks of the three students who inhabited the spacious apartment and another large cabinet stacked with DVDs like the other cabinets where with books.

Chloe de La Fontaine sat at one of the desks together with Mary and Blair writing onto a piece of paper.

"I wanted to have a talk with Nela," Isabelle told her roommate.

"Hello, Isabelle!" Mary called out from behind the door. "Don't you want to join us? We're helping Molly, Gaelle, and Chloe express their feelings about Rachel and Ottylia in a song we will perform at the remembrance ceremony."

Isabelle looked from the chirpy smiling Akko to the chirpy smiling Filiz.

"I'm really sorry, everyone," She grimaced while addressing Gaelle and Molly who now looked up at her. "But I'm not feeling too well. I just wanted to ask Nela to have a chat in our room about a problem from our latest magic philosophy class I'm having trouble with. I'll join you next time, Mary. I promise."

"Isabelle is suffering from stomach cramps," Filiz smiled at her frowning blue-haired friend.

"Oh! Really?" Akko eagerly looked at the French girl's abdomen and flexed her fingers. "Can I try a spell I just learned? It works really well for stomach cramps."

"I wouldn't bother, Akko," Filiz called from behind her countryman while playing with the double-headed eagle pendant hanging from her left ear. "It'll be over by the time she gets to our room, yeah. It's purely psychological," The girl with the dark ponytail winked at her roommate.

"Huh?" Akko frowned and looked behind her.

"Even if the symptoms have a psychological cause the spell I taught Akko should be able to relieve the pain," Diana remarked.

"I don't doubt you, Diana," Filiz smiled. "But this kind of thing happens regularly whenever dear Isabelle receives the latest issue of the comic book her father, who she loves and respects so much, writes and draws. Isn't that right, Isabelle?"

"That's exactly it. Hahahaha!" The purple-haired girl boisterously giggled.

"So all Isabelle needs to lose her cramps is to go to our room and read the book," Filiz continued with a gentle smile at Diana.

"If that is the case, I suppose the symptoms really will work themselves out without intervention," The platinum-blonde Brit pondered.

"That being the case, I was wondering if you had time to join me, Nela?" Isabelle persisted while pointedly looking at her roommate.

"Is it that important?' The Czech witch frowned. "Can it wait fifteen minutes?"

"Alright. I'll wait for you in our room," The witch with the purple bob and the yellow-tinted sunglasses nodded while touching the purple vest of her uniform with a wince.

"Alright then. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, Isabelle!" Nela uninterestedlly told her friend who turned around and left without an answer.

Their visitor gone, Akko and Diana hovered at the open door for a while and watched the girls occupied inside.

Suddenly hit by new inspiration Molly started writing on the piece of paper before her with moistening eyes.

"Hey, that's really good," Nela observed as she sat forward in her fauteuil so as to be able to better read what the second-year witch was writing about her missing sister. "I don't know anything about writing song lyrics. But I can see your sister meant a lot to you."

"I couldn't write a song either," Filiz commented. "My contribution is to judge whether we can sing what they write."

"I could live without a friend. No one but you around me.

I see no reason why you'd want to be without me.

Because no matter how fierce our anger each is the center of the other's heart.

And no matter where you are we will never truly be apart," Molly sniffed and wiped her eyes, bringing Gaelle and Blair to tears too.

"That is really touching and well written, Molly," Avery, who was sitting on the opposite side of the curved sofa, said with a keen look at her classmate. I hope we can keep all of that in the song without change. I want to pour all my emotions in those lines."

"Thank you," The otherwise so joyful blackette who now sat back and hugged herself sniffed with a quiet smile that told everyone present she considered the words a compliment to the missing girl who inspired such sisterly love.

Diana watched the dejected faces of her classmates with anxious feelings.

"Akko," She finally whispered in a decided tone. "We need to continue studying the Amtide. I still have the feeling Meifa or the Chaos Gods are in some way linked to the murderer. If we can get Rachel Morgan back by finding that link… Akko!"

"Good evening, everyone!" Akko greeted while she pulled the alarmed Brit through the door opening. "I know your friend and sister feel all of the love you are sending them through what you are doing here. But it's important not to allow yourself to be pulled down by grief, so I hope you will all join us at the fair later. Lotte, Barbara, and Jasminka are there already."

"Huh? Gaelle, who had brought Molly's paper along with her own over to Mary stood still and looked at Akko with a confused expression. "I didn't think Jasminka would be interested in a fair without funfair food stalls."

"Yeah… I didn't think she'd be either," Akko grinned embarrassedly at the bespectacled brunette. "But she told us she wants to go specifically for the pig-wrestling."

Filiz and Nela burst out in laughter at that.

"I hope I can see that," Nela joked. "I didn't know Jasminka had such a competitive streak."

Akko and Diana returned her amused smile.

"You know what I heard yesterday?" Blair said all of a sudden. "Apparently Andrew Hanbridge and his father are going to come to the remembrance ceremony here at Luna Nova to show their support of the magic community."

"Andrew is coming?" Mary eagerly inquired and looked at the diminutive blonde Italian sitting to her right.

"I don't want to dash anyone's dreams," Chloe, who was sitting to Mary's left, pointedly remarked. "But I heard someone finally caught him!"

"Oh! I know," Mary sighed. "I even heard they have secretly been engaged already."

"Really?!" Blair sat up while Akko grimaced ever more uncomfortably to Diana's observant eyes. "I wonder who could be so lucky as to carry the approval of his father?"

"See you later everyone!" The Japanese witch boisterously greeted again as she quickly closed the door behind her and a startled Diana.

"I know!" Chloe agreed with Blair and sat forward on her wooden chair. "She must be quite something."

Mary allowed a slight smile on her lips and quietly remarked: I heard she isn't British and that we'd all be shocked to know. But that she's really amazing and more than worthy of snatching Andrew up."

Blair watched her teasingly grinning friend for half a minute and burst out: "You know who it is! No fair, Mary! You have to share!"

"I don't know. Honestly!" The blue-haired witch held up her hand in defense. "I was told those cryptic words by someone who is connected to the Hanbridges. I can't say anymore."

"Ugh!" Chloe sighed next to the two arguing friends. "I can't seem to find the right words to finish the lines I wrote."

"Don't try to force it, Chloe," Mary kindly told the blonde with the big hairdo sitting next to her at her desk as she leaned closer.

"I'll tell you something that always works for me when I am working on a lyric. I think of my mother and the person who taught me magic when I was young," The blue-haired girl shared with a faraway stare.  
"I think of where they are and what they would be feeling. I try to remember every moment we shared. And slowly my feelings for them bring forth words.  
That doesn't mean everything I think of when I do that is good. But you have to accept everything. And as you write those words down you will find a melody in them."

"I just realized that you never told me who it is that taught you magic as a child," Filiz's gentle voice snapped Chloe, who had been looking at her classmate as if mesmerized, out of her reverie.

"You don't tell me everything either. Do you, Filiz?" Mary smiled without looking around. "We all have secrets."

"No. That's true." Her friend replied ponderously. "But you so often mention her. And when you do there is something about you that makes me feel like I should f…"

Hearing the unusual tone in the blackette's voice made Mary turn around in wonder and for a short moment, both girls gazed at one another's naked expression puzzled at themselves and one another.

Then Filiz smiled and Mary turned around again.

"She is very important to me, you know," The girl with the red sash in her hair said dreamily. "I know her better than my own mother. But I love my mother just as dearly. I have been away from her for a long time. But I hope that someday when we meet again, I can tell her that I reached my goals my own way. And then hopefully I can introduce you to her and we can sit down together."

Suddenly blushing, The blue-haired Brit turned around again and awkwardly, quietly explained: "I don't mean that in a weird way."

Filiz gently rocked the double-headed eagle pendant on her left ear back and forth with her pointer finger and looked wide-eyed at her friend.

"Okay…" She just answered.

Then, both witches burst into relaxing laughter.  
Chloe, Avery, and Gaelle looked on while Molly was lost in thought. Blair and Nela laughed quietly because of the merriment of their friends. But none of the girls present were able to appreciate the enormity of what was happening or the scale of all that they were doing that evening.

About ten minutes later Chloe was finally able to finish her lines in memory of her roommate Ottylia and after a few encouraging words from their friends, she, Gaelle, and Molly went to their rooms to get their jackets and capes before Blair, and Avery accompanied them to the fair in Blytonbury.

Nela left to help Isabelle out in their room.

Left on their own Filiz helped Mary, who after she received Molly and Gaelle's contributions had moved to Diana's desk, shape what their fellow students had written into a song.

"Everyone wrote really beautiful lyrics, yeah," The Japanese witch remarked. "I'm glad we are able to bind them all into a song without having to alter them too much."

"They really did." Mary agreed and looked up at the girl who was leaning over her. "It's because these lyrics reflect their heartfelt feelings about the people they will never see again. People they love very much and who were wantonly taken from them."

"You sound like you understand them," Filiz observed.

Mary turned her face to the lyrics again and without thinking, she started to write the chorus.

"Like I told you: I don't know if I will ever see a certain person again. It's not the same but…"

Stuck on the second line of the chorus the Brit allowed her pencil to circle above the page like a scrying pendulum.

"I really wish Isabelle had been able to join us," She sighed.

"Here," Filiz said. "Let me."

The blackette gently took the pencil from her surprised friend and continued the lines she had written.

"I miss your voice. I miss your smile. I miss you. I need you here.

Please, bring me back who was taken from me." "I need her to be safe and without fear.

I wish I was with you now. I miss you. I need you here."

"That's really… perfect," Mary marveled at the lines her friend had written. "How did you…" She continued while looking up.

"When you get like this I feel… I don't know," The pony-tailed girl frowned. "I don't really understand. But these words felt right."

Mary's perplexed face turned into a dreamy smile. She quickly finished inserting the chorus where she wanted it.

"It feels a little like a prayer," Filiz commented.

The song finished, Mary placed a bookmark between the pages and closed what she had taken for her songbook to find an angular and basic drawing of an hourglass superimposed on the symbol of the nine old witches embroidered on the cover of the book she was holding.

"It's a spell!" She exclaimed in dismay. "Oh no… We wrote the lyrics down into Diana's Amtide."

"But… Nobody is going to look for it will they?" Filiz wondered out loud. "And nobody is going to pronounce a spell they don't know the use of. Are they?"

The two witches shared a look.

"I suppose not," Mary agreed.

Then she took her real songbook from the other desk and opened both books next to each other.

"If I copy the text and alter two words that don't follow each other in the second line and one word in each eight' line the copy should lose the effect of the spell"

Filiz watched her friend write. "You can substitute "cause" for "reason" here," She aided.

"It's a pity," Mary said when she finally closed both books. "But at least the changes we had to make aren't disruptive to the song."

"Yes," Filiz said. "And it is a really beautiful song."

Both girls shared a relieved smile.

"I'll go and see if I can get Isabelle and Nela to come to the fair after all,, " Filiz said at last.

Mary watched her friend walk to the door and open it.

"You go ahead, yeah? We'll join you later."

Left to her own, Mary sat staring at the Amtide with an uncomfortable feeling.

What had she allowed to happen? And what impact would it have later on?

But more pressingly: Mary realized that she was running out of time fast and couldn't afford to do things half-heartedly anymore.

* * *

There is a peculiar pleasure to be derived from eating your dinner while looking out over a bustling city with your family around you. But such a dining room should be dressed up appropriately in order to convey the sense of power that should be the key to this pleasure.

A dark-grey ceiling with two elaborate crystal chandeliers hanging down over a long dark oak dining table set for a three-course meal decorated with a flower arrangement of dark pink roses brought forth by Sachihiro's unrivaled talent for ikebana.

Pure white walls with an elegant cornice running along the ceiling.

Room-high meter-long windows with cream curtains bound by dark-golden curtain tie-backs.

A cream carpet with a pattern of golden crescents over a dark oak-paneled floor.

And wooden chairs with stylish cream leather upholstering.

Esmeral was a woman with numerous talents, and interior design wasn't even chief among them. Anytime Faisal Osdemir sat down to eat he felt like a King surveying his domain.

That analog might be more appropriate than ever now. More than a King, in less than two months Faisal could be said to have become the Emperor of a realm that spanned the entire Asian continent and was starting to gain footholds in Africa, Europe, and North America: The Perfect Fusion Imperium.

At least, he could have been said to be an Emperor if he was the person who made the decisions.

"Good evening everybody," Hoka Inumuta greeted as he came through the dark oak door behind the beautiful Esmeral. "I am sorry I couldn't arrive on time, Mr. Osdemir, but things in Ethiopia are frantic. I am needed everywhere."

"Thankfully, that isn't much of a problem nowadays," The young man with the teal hair grinned before he sat down next to his bewitching girlfriend and kissed her.

Sucy and Hoka had been aware of one another's emotions during the entire time he was away in Africa. Her boyfriend seemed carefree to the Osdemirs, but the young witch knew he was feeling bad because of what was going to happen to his friend.

"May I serve you a slice of roasted lamb, Mr. Osdemir?" Sachihiro, who was dressed in a black-and-white waiter uniform, asked while standing beside his employer and savior with the dish containing the fragrant meat in his left hand and a pair of tongs in his right one.

Faisal Osdemir nodded quietly and surveyed his court while his young butler served him his dinner:

To his right sat his oldest daughter Zeynep. Next to her sat Berren and farthest from his father, his son Yigit.  
Opposite of Faisal sat his beautiful wife Esmeral, wearing a long black skirt and a stylish light-blue shirt.  
To the blonde Russian's right sat the snarky witch, Sucy Manbavaran.  
To the mauve-haired Filipino's right sat the errand-boy of their master. And next to him, to Faisal's left, was the empty chair that was supposed to be occupied by the most unmannered person in the Perfect Fusion Imperium.

"I hear you have been very busy abroad as well, Mr. Osdemir?" Hoka inquired with a quick glance at the young woman in the long purple dress who sat in front of him and was staring at him without pause through her red uni-lens sunglasses.

"It was decided by "God" that we should as soon as possible, make it so that every person in the middle east is drinking Perfect Fusion tea. This with the intention of preventing the epidemic from starting to claim lives. So it goes without saying that I and my employees have been extremely busy."

"I'm sure having tea-parties with local government representatives and factory owners must be very stressful," Sucy quipped.

"You must be mistaken, dear Faisal," Esmeral mocked in turn. "Are we not all to be Gods soon? We mustn't misinterpret the message of "The Great Unifier" or reason will be lost."

"Well," Hoka smiled nervously. "One thing we cannot be mistaken in is that this is a very tasty lamb. A recipe of yours, Mrs. Osdemir?"

Zeynep laughed heartily with the joke to her father's irritation while Yigit suspiciously regarded The teal-haired man and his girlfriend on the other side of the table.

"In any case, I have been successful on all fronts during my journey through the middle east and we will be ready to start the local production of Perfect Fusion tea within a week or two," Faisal said before putting a piece of lamb in his mouth.

"Everything is proceeding as intended," The large brawny Turk continued while admiring his beautiful smiling wife. "Fufian membership is reaching 60 percent in Japan, the soon to be reunited Korea, Russia, Turkey, Syria and the coastal provinces of China. 30 percent in other Asian countries. The only place where we are experiencing difficulties is Europe. Our shipments rarely arrive at the factories intact. Either they get lost in transit or, ironically, they arrive spoiled."

"We are looking into the matter," Sucy explained. "I have been to Europe to take stock of the problems and experiments I have conducted point to a magical cause for the food shortage and related problems occurring over there.  
We are debating on how to pinpoint the cause and what we can do to alleviate the problems.  
Headmistress Holbrooke suggested a partial solution for the food shortage, but nothing that is of aid to us. And unfortunately, it has come to my attention that Europe may not remain our only problem. But we are working on that too."

Faisal regarded the mauvette in the turquoise lab-coat while munching his food and raised his glass of wine to his lips.

"Rize Coast Perfect Blend would pair very well with this meal," The Filipino grinned. "I drank it myself."

"I'll drink my own product when I'm ready," The large, brawny bald Turk huffed and sipped from his glass.

Then the door behind his wife opened and, in spite of his abhorrence of the person who was coming into the room clouded in obscurity as always, a small shock of the fear of God rippled through Faisal's heart.

* * *

The Gulfstream 150 Satsuki and Rei had chartered to take them across the world finally stopped moving after taxying to the international arrivals ramp for private aircraft at Narita Airport.

Now, the quatrain that was returning home from their highly successful world tour only had to wait for the customs and immigration officers to clear their passes.

Ira Gamagoori should feel easy now they had returned to home soil. He had protected his employer and friends for weeks.

Not that this journey had been as dangerous as some of the ones Satsuki and Rei had taken into warlord-ruled areas in Africa when they were researching for their Root Of Origin project, but this business trip had been taxing for all of them.

Perhaps that's why he had started to feel uneasy somehow as soon as the jet began to descend.

Although if he had been asked what it was that he felt he would with a puzzled expression declare that it was as if he was feeling the uneasiness of someone else.

"I want the two of you to take the rest of the week off," Satsuki told her bodyguard who sat on the sofa lined up along the length of the private jet and her butler, who sat opposite her with a seat that was facing Satsuki in between them.

"You have both worked hard and contributed immensely to the success of our undertaking. Please, take this time to relax and reward yourselves," The blackette said as she smiled at Rei who was wearing a stylish light-blue business suit over a white shirt with a knee-length skirt and sat in the seat to Soroi's left.

The seats of the passengers' cabin were covered with beige leather. The tan lower wall was lined with the same shiny polished wood as the walls and doors to the cockpit and the lavatory. The cabin's ceiling was cream-colored with two rows of lights running the length of the plane.

"Thank you very much, Lady Satsuki," Soroi and Ira bowed nearly in unison toward the young woman in the gold-buttoned white business suit with trousers over an ice-blue shirt.  
The suit reminded the great blonde giant of his beloved friend's student-council president uniform.

"It has been an honor to accompany both of you on this journey," He continued with a strained voice. "I... I... Think it goes without saying, nevertheless I cannot but say it, Lady Satsuki, but since I have met you there has not been a day that I have doubted giving my life for the success of whatever you decide to pursue!" The gentle giant exclaimed as he got up in his white tuxedo over a blue shirt and lay his hand on his chest.  
"I have always wanted to give my all for a noble cause. And you never fail to provide me with one."

Satsuki smiled and stood upright as well, taking the right hand of her towering friend in both of hers.

"Thank you, Ira. Dedication and passion like yours are rarely found, and I have been blessed with not just yours but that of all of my friends. I feel truly blessed by all of your friendships and I am grateful that I can channel our resolve and our talents in the endeavor Rei brought to me.  
After we defeated the life fibers I had a lot of prospects before me, but none that challenged me to use my abilities in the service of others.  
I am eternally grateful to you for challenging me as you did, Rei Hoomaru," Satsuki continued as she turned to her female friend.

Rei watched her friend for about a minute before swallowing.

"You sure are all addicted to big words, aren't you? But you know...?" The young black woman blushed and looked at her feet for a moment before awkwardly continuing. "Getting to know you all and seeing you all get so excited and working so hard for something that is so important to me really enabled me to go all out for the people I left behind when your mother saved me from the war. And I found really good friends in all of you. So thank you."

"That's it, Miss Hoomaru!" Ira sat down again and nodded approvingly. "Don't be afraid to let your feelings show. What about you, Mr. Soroi?" Ira asked the quiet old man with the balding grey hair and the sunken eyes in the black tuxedo over a white shirt.

Soroi looked slowly from him to Rei to Satsuki from his seated position and stood upright before his mistress.

"Let it never be in doubt, My Lady Satsuki, that I shall always love you and hold you dearest of all." He drawled.  
"I have never married, but if I may be so bold, I would confess I love you as if you were my own daughter. And come what may, if it is in my power, I would never allow harm to come to you. These are my true feelings," The man solemnly bowed.

As he straightened up Satsuki came closer and looked him in the eyes.

"Thank you, Mitsuzo," She whispered and hugged him like a daughter.

Ira observed how Soroi brought his arms around his mistress and returned her embrace while he looked down at her. Then both sat down again.

"I think we better take a few days off as well," Rei remarked as she crossed her dusky legs in her light-blue skirt. "We will both have a lot of work to do for both ShelteR Inc. and the Root Of Origin foundation, but before we do we'd better get some rest. I don't want to do a half-assed job."

"I agree," Satsuki smiled and turned her eyes on the Cessna parked beside their jet which she saw through one of the round windows in the side of the cabin.

"Now that we have reaped such success we will have little free time in the coming months and years. I want, among other things, to visit Ethiopia with you again as soon as possible to see what Hoka has been able to organize so far and help coordinate the efforts of the foundation."

"But first you want to shower Ryuko, Nonon and the others with all of the presents you collected, right?" The young woman with the lavender ringlets diagonally from Satsuki grinned.

"I think we both bought several things we want to share with our loved ones," The tall blackette retorted, making both women chuckle.

"And I am quite certain Mr. Gamagoori is all too eager to present a peculiar gift to a certain hyperactive office lady."

The blonde giant in the white tuxedo colored as he saw his employer turn to him with a cheeky grin while Soroi and Rei did the same.

"I... I don't know if the time is right yet!" He stammered and touched the encased ring behind his breast pocket.

"Don't be such a coward," Rei sternly reprimanded, sitting forward in her light-blue business suit. "Don't you think Mako would be happy to hear how you feel about her? If you want to make her happy you should be the one to **MAKE** the time right!"

"Aaah..." Ira sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I suppose you're right."

Suddenly the door to the cockpit was opened and the captain of the jet came in followed by two female police officers.  
Satsuki stood up from her seat and turned around to face them.

The captain was a handsome older man with dyed black hair and a grey mustache.

"My apologies for intruding, Miss Kiryuin," He bowed deep in his black trousers and his white shirt with a black neck-tie. "These police officers told me they needed to talk to you."

Satsuki looked the two kind but determined-looking young women in the eyes and understood that they were not here for a simple customs matter or even for the health-matters relating to the fearfully spreading epidemic on the Arabian peninsula.

"Please, don't worry captain," She said as magnanimously as the holy mother. "You have kept us safe during our entire journey and expertly brought us from destination to destination in a timely manner. Your service was impeccable."

"Thank you for your praise, Miss Kiryuin," The man bowed one last time before slowly returning to the cockpit.

When he closed the door behind him the oldest looking police officer, a tall woman with black braided hair in a navy-blue uniform with navy-blue trousers stepped forward and took off her navy-blue cap as she bowed slightly.

"My apologies for intruding, Miss Kiryuin, but I have to ask you to allow us to accompany you to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department HQ. We have a police car outside with blinded windows to ensure you will not be seen."

"I understand. Thank you. I will cooperate to the extent of my ability of course. May I know why I am required to come with you? I have no secrets from my travel companions," Satsuki said calmly as she returned the mild look of the officer before her.

The younger and slightly shorter officer wore her blue hair bound together behind her cap. Ira saw from his seated position how she suspiciously eyed him and Rei.

Perhaps it was his distraught manner as he watched Satsuki speak that worried her, though his size would worry any officer coming to make an arrest.

Ira had protected his mistress in the company of lawless warlords so depraved that they made children murder everyone they hold dear as an initiation when they made them part of their army and he knew he would have kept her safe no matter what might have happened in those places.

But now in the presence of the law of his mother country, he felt utterly powerless.

"Are you sure you want me to provide that information to you in this company?" The senior officer asked as she slightly tilted her forehead and peered at Satsuki from under her eyebrows.

"Yes. Please?"

"Very well," The woman sighed and placed her cap on her head again.

"You are wanted for interrogation in a matter of high treason."

"What?!" Rei exclaimed.

"I understand," Satsuki calmly stated.

Then she turned towards her friends. A beacon of righteousness in her gold-buttoned white business suit with trousers over an ice-blue shirt.

"Do not worry, my dear friends. Rei?"

Satsuki's lavender-haired associate nodded with a fierce look in her amber eyes.

"Please proceed as planned. Nothing may interfere with the Root Of Origin project. Hoka Inumuta will remain my replacement until further notice."

"Ira?"

"Yes! Lady Satsuki!" The blonde giant nodded nervously while his feelings became obvious through his tone.

"Calm down," The majestic woman before him demanded.

"You know I can handle myself and I know that as long as you live I will be safe. So do what Rei told you and do not worry about me."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki," Ira muttered as he bowed his head.

"Lift high that head and steady your voice, Mr. Gamagoori!"

"I apologize for my temporary weakness, Lady Satsuki!" The bodyguard of ShelteR Inc's CEO roared as he got up from his seat and his bulk filled the passengers' cabin. "My mind is at ease since I will always be faithful to you!"

"Good."

The two old friends shared a confident smile before Satsuki turned to her loyal butler.

"Mr. Soroi?"

Mitsuzo Soroi looked his profoundly serious-looking mistress seriously in the eyes.

"Yes, Lady Satsuki?"

"In the event that anything out of the ordinary happens, I want you to let Nonon Jakuzure and Shiro Iori know that I trust in their decision."

Mistress and servant locked eyes for half a minute longer before Soroi gave his answer.

"I am your loyal servant, Lady Satsuki."

Then Satsuki turned to face the officers who had come to take her away and walked toward the cockpit.

"I am ready to come with you now," She stated as she walked in between the two policewomen imperious as a queen escorted by the lawmen of a new regime for its rulers to judge.

Her three friends watched her step through the door and each determined to harden their heart and carry out the task appointed to them.

Then the youngest police officer threw a stern look at Ira, Rei, and at last at Soroi before she closed the door behind her.

* * *

High above in the clouds over the Japanese islands, a girl with black hair bound in a high ponytail that reached to her lower back lay reclined on her left arm watching the actions of the creatures below through her hypnotizing red eyes.

As Oku's long red, orange, and yellow dress moved in the wind the fitful design danced as if the colors were alive.

"Hihihihi," The tanned girl giggled in delight as she observed what was happening to Satsuki.

"Such a strange move. But you have been making lots of strange moves, haven't you, Fufians? I think it is time for me to make my move," Oku smiled as she looked toward the great and powerful nation on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. "Consider your Queen in check."

* * *

"Here at the Luna Nova sports athletics track and sports field, Professor Nelson has all of us exercising regularly in order to maintain a firm posture while learning to fly. It's not a secret that most of us would do without these exercises if we could, but it is clear that they do help us to ride our brooms properly and safely.

However, to two of our first-year students, physical exercise is no mandatory trial but a heavenly indulgence.

After a day spent in class, before dinner and study till late in the night, there is nothing Nela Novotna and Filiz Osdemir love more than to let loose on the track or work their body here at the calisthenics park. Which is where your dutiful reporters from the Luna Nova News Network, Wangari and... "

Wangari lightly nudged the elbow of the short red-haired girl sitting on the low wooden stool to her right.

"Sóla," Came the quiet answer to the prompt.

"... are sitting with them to get to know these remarkable first-year Luna Nova students a little better."

A few meters in front of Sóla, behind Joanna who was filming the two interviewers and the two interviewees, the shy Islandic witch's former roommates Rajani and Rashmi stood watching together and showed her a big thumbs up for her first recorded interview.

Apart from the two interviewees and the other girls who were running laps on the track to the left or playing tennis on the courts in the early October sunlight to the right everyone was clothed in their informal uniforms with the short sleeve vests.

Sóla and Wangari sat close together on a pair of low wooden stools.

Next to them on an adjustable bench which was part of the calisthenics park and at the legs of which lay various weights sat Filiz and Nela.

Nela sat to the right of the short Islandic witch, wearing red gym shoes and dark-grey leggings with a loose bright-red sleeveless T-shirt.

To the Czech's right, sharing the bench with her, sat Filiz wearing purple gym shoes and clothed in knee-length black sports tights and a teal T-shirt.

"First question!" Wangari announced with vigor as she leaned closer and Sóla held her microphone toward both girls. "How was your workout?"

"I had a great workout. Thank you," Nela smiled proudly.

"Yeah. It was really fun and satisfying," Filiz cheerfully answered. "Even though I'm hungry and wanted to stop and go to the cafeteria before the interview but Nela wouldn't come with me."

The blonde Czech looked sideways after her roommate's deadpan remark and dryly retorted: "Last week I wanted to stop studying and go to sleep because I had a headache, but Filiz insisted on finishing the chapter she was busy with. Payback's a bit-ch."

Wangari and Sóla sweated as they saw the offending pony-tailed blackette grin and take a sip from the blue water-bottle at her feet.

The Kenyan with the big orange hairdo clicked her tongue at her roommate and Sóla quietly asked: "The two of you are famous for being very competitive. What is it that brings out that competitive streak in one another?"

Sóla held her microphone before Filiz and blushed as she saw Rajani and Rashmi high five in the distance.

As Filiz followed the redhead's gaze her eyes landed on Mary who had come along with her and her roommate and was still running laps along the track.

"Yeah... For me personally, I want to learn as much about magic as I can," She seriously stated. "I have always been inquisitive. I always wanted to know more than I was taught in school and magic is the most amazing thing I have come across. When I..."

"Hey! You're saying all the things I want to say!" Nela burst out in an annoyed tone.

"I can't help it that she asked me first," Filiz answered while playing with the double-headed eagle pendant hanging from her left ear. "But if you want to continue, be my guest.

"I'm the same," Her roommate with the long wavy blonde hair smiled as Sóla held the microphone before her. "I think magic is beautiful and I want to know everything about it. When I saw Akko and Diana fly in pursuit of that missile on their broom..."

"I fell in love!" Filiz mischievously and hurriedly interrupted. "Not because Akko is so cute. Even though she's very..."

"Hey! I was going to say that!"

"Hahaha!" Filiz giggled. "Of course you were. You always say that whenever you talk about that moment."

"Well, Akko and Diana changed my life!" Nela angrily retorted.

"And mine."

"... So I want to repay Akko by becoming the greatest witch I can be in her honor!"

"Me too!"

"Hahaha!" Wangari laughed at the bickering first-years. "I think you made it crystal clear just how competitive you get with each other."

"That's just because of Nela," Filiz shrugged. "She never wants to stop studying or working out before I do. It's annoying."

"You won't stop before I do either," The witch in the dark-grey legging and the red T-shirt protested. "We have Isabelle tell us when to stop and go to bed," She shamelessly stated while looking into the camera. "But honestly, I like that about you. One day we will see which one of us is the most powerful witch, worthy of Akko's legacy."

A slight blush appeared on the face of the witch in the teal T-shirt and the knee-length black tights as she stared into the cold blue eyes of her peculiarly smiling friend.

"How is it that the two of you are so unprecedentedly good at magic anyway?" Wangari asked. "Since neither of you has any background in magic what you have been accomplishing as first-years is astonishing! I heard you mastered the magic of the stars in a few months while some second years still struggle with it."

"Even if it sounds presumptuous, I suppose we do study a lot more than most of the first-years," Nela pensively answered while looking at her indulgently smiling and nodding roommate. "Neither of us needs a lot of sleep. So after dinner, if we're not busy with the band it's not uncommon for us to study straight until two or three at night or practice outside as long as we're allowed to."

"Other than that, we do seem to have a natural propensity because we were both born under auspicious astrological circumstances," Filiz added. "We both mastered the spells we were sent with our uniform after our enrollment fees were payed in a few days. But we never fail to fire each other on to work as hard as we can. And we certainly are lucky not to need much sleep."

"Well, your hard work seems to pay off!" Wangari stated as she leaned closer to her interviewees. "There are some who predict you'll be more accomplished witches than the great Diana Cavendish in the not too distant future."

"Oh no!" Filiz laughed. "I think it will take some time before we can hope to match Diana's knowledge and ability. But it's nice to be flattered like that."

The blackette looked to her left and found Nela smirking with self-satisfaction.

"It might take some time, but I am not aiming for anything less," The Czech confidently declared while her roommate and interviewers sweated in embarrassment. "If Akko wants to be the greatest witch in the world I will be the second greatest." She grinned.

"Third," Filiz smiled cutely.

"I know you'll be third. I'm talking about myself," Nela grinned.

"It's interesting that especially Filiz is so beloved while you both admire Akko so much. Because Akko used to be... well maybe not bullied, but she wasn't very well-liked when she first came to Luna Nova," Wangari interrupted.

"It's easier for us because Akko paved the road for first-generation witches," Nela stated as she spoke in the microphone Sóla held up for the witch in the red T-shirt and the dark-grey legging next to her. "I won't win any popularity contests either, but I don't care," The Czech smirked defiantly. "I pride myself on speaking my mind, just like..."

"I have no patience with bullies, yeah," Filiz bluntly cut in, her words stabbing the air. "Picking on someone who's isolated is pathetic. If you gang up on those you can easily victimize you've got no more honor than the animals people used to turn into trophies."

She turned to see Nela gape at her.

"I don't hold it against the second-year students who looked down on Akko," Filiz continued in a softer tone as she looked away, a little uneasy because of the awed look in the eyes of the blonde. "But I'm glad they're more open-minded now."

"I think that's a beautiful message to everyone who is watching," Wangari smiled. "It is clear both of you love Akko and Luna Nova very much. A love I think we all share."

"But we've been going rather soft on you two," The Kenyan grinned. "To end this interview we will reveal a dirty secret each of you seems to have tried to conceal from us. Don't worry, because we took care not to touch on any possible sore subjects. But I couldn't bear to withhold Nela's career as a boxer. I believe you even held a title for a year?"

"That is a very cute secret, Wangari," Filiz joked while she regarded her slightly blushing roommate with interest.

"Boxing is hardly embarrassing to me," The blonde smirked. "It was my grandfather who trained me and I'm very happy I got to win the title and got to keep it for a year before he did."

"How long did you engage in the sport." Sóla quietly asked.

"My grandfather started training me in his club when I was 10," Nela smiled as she pushed a few locks of her long wavy blonde hair back. "And I competed in matches with other middle school kids from my twelfth until I turned fourteen.

I enjoyed the sport a lot, but after my grandfather died I just didn't care that much anymore. So eventually I switched to fencing in high school.

I hope Filiz and I can make you all proud at the European inter-high competition for lightsaber fencing. We've both been training with Amanda, Elfriede, and Diana. I was excited about how good they all are. Filiz wanted to learn how to fence as soon as I told her I wanted to join the competition. She very skilled and is a quick learner"

"Thank you," The Japanese witch in the black tights and the teal T-shirt grinned. "I'm not making any promises as to results, but lightsaber fencing has been a lot of fun so far, so I'm going to give it all I got at my first tournament."

"We will all look forward to seeing how the four of you do in October," Wangari smiled. "But I believe it's time for Filiz's dirty little secret now. Isn't it, Sóla?"

Filiz curiously watched the little redheaded Icelander nod shortly.

"Is it true that you are the heir to the rapidly growing multinational Perfect Fusion company?" Sóla bluntly asked.

"Oh, that!" Her Japanese interviewee shrugged. "I hardly could keep that a secret. Some people knew about my family's business on the first day of school. And I'm far from being the heir. I'm the youngest Osdemir daughter. I'll get a seat on the board of directors when I come of age, but my oldest sister Zeynep is the only one who is really interested in taking over from my father in the future."

"To be honest, we didn't even discovered this ourselves. We heard about it from Akko," Wangari winked.

"I thought so," Filiz chuckled. "It's not like my father's company has any pretense to glamour, but it's not anything to be embarrassed about either. We produce a variety of detergents and teas. We have mainly been branching out in the tea business lately."

"So is there a particular blend or flavor that has a connection to you or that you can recommend to your fans?"

"Oh no. Quite the contrary. I wouldn't recommend our tea to anyone I like," The blackette answered in a blasé tone of voice. "Our company's current success is mainly due to the shrewd marketing campaign my father's people came up with, but there is nothing we sell that can compete with the tea served at the cafeteria. Even these day when the trolls are forced to make five cups of tea with one bag."

"That's harsh judgment toward your father's company," Nela grimaced.

"Have you or Isabelle ever had reason to doubt my opinion in matters like this?" Filiz challenged her roommate while holding out her left hand as if she was carrying a plate on it.

"Well... I can't say we have." The Czech smiled.

"There you go," Her ponytailed friend smiled with satisfaction. "I only want to spare you all the dissapointement of having to taste our horrible concoctions through the result of ll-advised curiosity."

"I don't know about you two," Wangari interrupted. "But I've gotten a craving for that diluted tea they serve in the cafeteria."

The orange-haired Kenyan nudged her short colleague and Sóla continued in a small voice: "I feel a little thirsty myself. Let's go and enjoy our dinner. I know Filiz will race Nela to the cafeteria as soon as we stop filming. Thank you for the interview."

The two interviewees shared a hearty laugh at the redhead's joke.

"You are welcome," Filiz smiled.

"It was a pleasure," Nela agreed with a big grin.

As soon as Joanna turned off the camera and Wangari shared a satisfied wink with the bespectacled mauvette Sóla's two Indian friends came running at her and dragged the flustered little redhead from her stool under squeals of: "You were so cool!" and "You were amazing!"

"Wow. Hahahaha," The outgoing Kenyan laughed. "I don't know if they're not even more boisterous in their love than you two are. Thank you again for the interview," She shook hands with both of the interviewees as she got up from her stool and made the stools disappear with a gesture of her left hand, noticing how a group including Mary were approaching to use the calisthenics park now the interview was over.

"I think everyone will enjoy your earnest answers. We had a lot of requests to interview you two."

"Geez, to be such celebrities," Filiz laughed with her bottle of water in her right hand. "It was really fun. But I am going to race Nela to the cafeteria now.

"Ha! Here comes dear Isabelle. She must have missed us in the cafeteria," The Japanese witch grinned as she saw her other roommate walk up to them in the distance.

As the blackette stepped forward she accidentally overturned a 30-kilo dumbbell that landed with a heavy thud on a balance board in front of her.

In a strange movement, the 5-kilo dumbbell that was resting on the other side of the balance board was hurled upward at a startling speed straight towards Filiz's head.

The young witch saw the dumbbell propel towards her face and as panic struck her she was instantly teleported to Isabelle's side while the dumbbell catapulted up nearly two meters high before it landed, creating a small crater in the ground behind the bench Filiz had just shared with her friend.

Nela watched her roommate catch her breath as she leaned onto Isabelle's shoulder and looked at the weight that might have ended the Japanese witch's life if it had hit her with the unnatural force that had jetted it up.

"I never saw anything like that!" The blonde exclaimed. "How could that dumbbell jump so high?"

Wangari and Joanna shared a look and nodded as Mary ran up to her friend in concern dressed in yellow gym shoes, grey gym shorts, and a yellow T-shirt.

"That was strange. Wasn't it?" The Kenyan said quietly as she approached her bespectacled partner.

"I sadly didn't get any images of it. Too fast," Joanna replied.

"Geez, Filiz," Mary scolded. "I know you can't help being clumsy, but I wish you'd be more aware of your surroundings."

"Haha!" The blackette laughed. "That was really spectacular though. Wasn't it?"

"Hahahahaha! It sure was," Isabelle laughed in her exaggerated way while Filiz still held on to her and Nela looked on. "It sure was."

* * *

Croix Meridies was sitting on a high-backed wooden chair at a triangular three-legged table with a smooth white surface quietly reading a novel as the long dial of the plain round clock that hung up on the wall to her left ticked away the seconds and minutes past twelve o clock.

The room she was sitting in was about four meters to four meters large and housed but the bare necessity of furniture. A shabby dented silver fridge and a white linoleum lined cupboard stood on either side of the clock. Ahead, next to the fridge, was a small kitchenette with aluminum cooking plates built into the corner.

Opposite the kitchenette, behind a meter and a half long wall in the same cream color as the other walls, was a walk-in shower and toilet and lined up alongside that wall was her bed, on which currently a purple bed sheet with a pattern of yellow stars lay in a heap.

In the right corner behind her and alongside the rest of the right side wall was a messy workshop made up of a long low cabinet covered in bottles, books, robotics paraphernalia and pieces of magitronic units.

Sitting at her table reading leisurely after lunch was one of the few luxuries Croix allowed herself.

She had made lots of progress today and was confident that when she would be released she would finally be able to use her intelligence in order to enrich the world rather than take from it in order to satisfy her pride.

Pondering these things as she leaned her chin on her right hand an electronically synthesized atonal melody played and as a curious look appeared on her face the former teacher turned around in her chair.

"Come in!" She called.

The plain old-fashioned wooden door in the back of the room became blurry and a tall forty-something redheaded witch in the light-blue tunic of the department of order and protection stepped through it. On her head the friendly-looking guard wore a witches hat with a cock's feather pierced through the low rounded off tip, indicating that she was from the correctional facilities division.

"Good afternoon, Miss Meridies," The woman smiled, her arms akimbo. "I'm sorry to disturb you during working hours, but you got an unexpected visitor. Do you want to see him or will I ask him to come back at a later date?"

"A visitor? No. It's not a problem. Please let them in."

Curious, Croix got up and stepped away from the table as the guard left the room.

Ursula, Akko, and Diana had just come to see her yesterday. Her parents were working at this time. So were most of her friends. Could it be Miss Holbrooke?

That expectation was quickly crushed when she saw a strange tall elderly man appear through the blurred door.

Croix confusedly took in the man's black tuxedo and the bow-tie which graced the throat of his spotless white shirt as he unashamedly observed the dirty dark-blue overall she was wearing over a dark-yellow shirt, the empty plate stained with sauce bolognese and sweet soy sauce on the table, and everything in the room. Who was this man? A businessman? Someone who came to take her on a date? A butler? She decided the last option would be most likely.

This must mean she was to expect a visit from someone grand. Perhaps Daryl Cavendish?

"Miss Meridies?" Droned out of the butler's mouth.

"Yes. I am Croix Meridies," The lavender-haired young woman answered not without apprehension at the man's aloof behavior.

For a moment he seemed to have lost interest in her, looking around the room again.

"This is all... real?"

"Everything here is real," Croix smiled indulgently. "Even this space, which was created and is sustained by magic is real. You are not of magical descent?"

"Me? Oh no..." The man slowly shook his head. Then a thought struck him. "Or yes. In a certain way."

The man continued to look around and let his eyes wander in particular over the magitronic units and the bookcases against the wall behind him.

"Magic... It is quite fascinating," The tall man gushed in his drawling way.

"May I ask what is the reason for your visit? You know my name. I do not have the pleasure of having been introduced," Croix said a little impatiently.

"That is entirely true. I must beg you to excuse me for my shameful rudeness," The man bowed deeply while he turned his attention to Croix again and stepped a little closer. Croix crossed her arms defensively, noticing for the first time the coffret in his hand.

"My name, wholly unimportant as it is, is Soroi. And I am here on behalf of my mistress."

"Are you truly Miss Croix Meridies?" Soroi for his way energetically asked. "The witch who came near to uncovering the secrets of the Grand Triskelion. The witch who revolutionized witchcraft itself?"

Croix wondered where the man had heard of these things, or even of her existence, not being of magical descent himself.

"I am not equally proud of all my accomplishments," She answered, hanging her head momentarily. "But I am the person you just described, yes."

"That is most fortunate," Soroi muttered.

"In that case, I must ask for your assistance. My mistress is in need of help and a witch of your caliber is exactly what she needs."

"You are very uninformative sir. You came in with barely an introduction and you ask for my help for your mistress's sake without specifying the nature of the help I am required to provide," Croix replied somewhat harshly. "First of all, I am a criminal who is serving out her sentence."

"That is no problem to what we require you to do. We will get you acquitted."

"You misunderstand. I fully accept the punishment meted out to me. I desire to sit out my sentence."

"That also will not be a problem. As I mentioned: My mistress needs your help and she can be very convincing. Once you meet her you will see that you will provide us a great service by lending us your expertise."

Croix couldn't help feeling increasingly intrigued, but she still couldn't shake her unease. Or rather, her unease only grew with her fascination.

"I think it is time you mentioned the name of your mistress now," She nervously demanded.

"I understand," Soroi bowed.

As he straightened up, he carefully lifted the coffret in his left hand and placed it on his right. Croix observed how he shifted the lid of the coffret towards her and opened it as he came closer.

His deep-set black eyes looked kindly upon her as he smiled invitingly.

"But first, perhaps, before we proceed, it might do us good to have some tea."

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	7. Chapter 7

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

Fafnir watched the climbing yellow curve in the stock market graph on one of his blue screens with a grin. Perfect Fusion stock had risen again. Sometimes the stock market held few surprises.

As a rule, witches held few surprises. But sometimes they could genuinely make you scratch the grey hair on your back.

"So you want to renegotiate the terms of the debt," The gargantuan grey dragon confirmed as he turned around in his dark-blue revolving desk-chair.

"We believe we can make the terms more convenient to you," Samantha Badcock stated while looking up at her debtor. "And you are one of the few sources we are aware of from which we can buy the product."

"And you were satisfied with the sample I sent you? I don't remember there being much demand in the human world for spotted dragon bread," The old miser smirked.

"We were pleased with the sample, yes. Our experiments confirmed its high resistance to spoilage. We have also succeeded in developing a new spell with which we are able to ameliorate the extremely bitter natural taste and the foul smell of the product to our satisfaction."

"Product?" Fafnir raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that you want to psychologically distance yourself from what you are planning to eat in your search for some relief until you see the back end of the food shortage?"

Samantha's sour expression made it clear to the ancient creature that she was not amused that the dire circumstances in Europe were making her the butt of a dragon's jokes.

"The source of the fungal spores aside, Professor Badcock, it does seem in this case that there is some truth in the old saying that you are what you eat," The more self-deprecating Miranda Holbrooke chuckled.

"A pity that will only be true for the four of us," Luna Nova's vice-principal commented as she adjusted her pointy hat. "Not that it matters much in our current situation, but I can not for the life of me begin to understand what possessed that girl to declare to the entire student body that the tea her family produces is distasteful."

"Well, as you say, it doesn't matter much for the moment. But I really don't think we should be discussing these things in the open,' Miranda Holbrooke whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

"Don't you think a magical being like me can see the change in you without being told?" Fafnir huffed and pulled on the hem of his purple robe. "You witches sometimes seem to forget we have minds of our own."

The two women couldn't help but stare up at the dragon in a perplexed state.

"So you are aware?!" Samantha Badcock exclaimed.

"Of course. Only a human would be blind to the changes within you or to what is happening among you," The grey-haired miser on whose desk Samantha was standing said with a penetrating look. "But come what may of humanity's adventures, I don't care. As long as my dividends are paid out."

"What do you mean, come what may?" Miranda Holbrooke inquired as she adjusted her glasses and walked a little closer to her debtor. "Surely you can see that this evolution can only benefit everyone on earth?"

"Phuh! We will see…" The ancient dragon commented with a dark look that in spite of her optimism made an ominous impression on Luna Nova's headmistress. "I would be mindful of what it is that you are now made up of if I were you. Even ordinary humans should know that their greatest enemy hides within."

"As you say, we will see," Samantha Badcock stubbornly replied. "But I can assure you that we have every reason to put our faith in the people who are leading this great and profitable endeavor."

"If you say so," Fafnir breathed through his nose. "But since you mention profitable endeavors… How about we begin our negotiations?"

* * *

While The two highest authorities in Luna Nova were having a meeting they intended to benefit not only their student body but the surrounding villages and cities and perhaps the rest of Europe afterward, life at the magic school they lead was going its course. This was an achievement on its own, considering investigators from the Witches Council's department of order and protection were interviewing each student in turn.

On top of that, Chariot du Nord was very busy and a little nervous about things to come. As a result, several students were starting to wonder what was taking her so long. Others killed time through conversation.

The second-year students of Luna Nova magical school had been waiting for the Magic Astrology class to start for a few minutes now. It was a beautiful day outside and the mild Autumn sun was shining in through the large room-high windows

"It's scary to think that with all the best doctors around the world searching for a cure and the WHO trying their best to contain the pandemic they feel they need the help of the magical community," Mary said while glancing at the unoccupied pulpit at the head of the lecture hall with the enormous dark-green blackboard behind it.

"Yes. It is a worrying development," Diana agreed. "I think it is a good thing that all of those highly educated people who have so much to lose by admitting they cannot fight the disease on their own are brave enough to ask for help, but it is frightening that they feel so out of their depth that they would appeal to what hard-liners always considered the enemy of science."

"Maybe," Akko grinned with slight exasperation at the pessimistic views expressed while sitting in between her two roommates with her arms crossed. "But what I mainly take away from it is that when they do find a cure a foundation will be laid for further cooperation between scientists and witches, which will only benefit mankind."

"What a practical view on the matter," Amanda teased while leaning her left arm on Mary's part of the shiny wooden bench they were sitting at and looking up at her old partner in mischief with a grin. "That's not something I'm used to from you."

"Why do you pretend Akko can't think practically?" Mary commented and chuckled as the orange-haired American pulled back her arm which the blue-haired witch had just treated to a slight electrical shock.

"Ow! So mean. You could have asked me not to lean against your desk, you know."

"Shocks work better to help your pet unlearn bad behavior."

"So now I'm your pet?" Amanda asked while raising an eyebrow at the girl with the red sash in her hair sitting behind her in her purple vest and dark-blue shirt. "Does that mean you're gonna feed me something better than the mushroom soup and toast we've been getting for lunch the last three days?"

"There have been about a thousand and three-hundred deaths now," Wangari who was sitting in front of Diana mentioned. "There haven't been any reports of infection overseas yet thanks to the quite merciless quarantine. But new patients have been reported in Egypt, Israel and as far as Pakistan. They better find a cure soon because things really are looking bad.

"With Diana's aunt helping out in Qatar they will find a cure soon I hope. Didn't they isolate the disease vector in the hospital your aunt is working at, Diana?" Sola innocently inquired in a soft monotone.

The platinum-blonde Brit exhaled through her nose and turned to the Kenyan sitting in front of her with a stern look.

"I'm sorry, Sola. But your friend should know better than to try those underhanded techniques on me. An honest inquiry is the way to learn what you want to know and a person should keep from prying when they are told certain information cannot be shared with them."

"Ow… I'm sorry, Wangari. I tried the best I could," The redheaded Icelandic witch apologized with a defeated look.

"Don't apologize, Sola. You did very well," Wangari winked.

"Yeah… It isn't your fault Wangari's trick failed," Akko smirked. "We're too well acquainted with her strategies to fall for it when she has someone try to get us to talk about what Diana's aunt is doing in Baghdad."

"Akko!"

Mary and Amanda laughed as Diana scolded their embarrassedly bowing roommate.

"See?" Wangari said as she patted Sola on the shoulder with a satisfied smile.

I

"Mushroom soup on Monday, mushroom soup on Tuesday, mushroom soup on Wednesday… Guess what tomorrow will bring?" Blair sighed.

"How inconvenient for a witch, and an Italian witch at that, to hate mushrooms," Elfriede who was sitting in front of the ringletted blonde chuckled.

As the girl behind Elfriede stuck her tongue out at the teasing brunette with the Hime cut, Mary, who had overheard, leaned over and jokingly remarked that her former roommate wasn't fond of tomatoes either.

"You are both bigotted racialists. There are lots of Italian dishes without tomatoes or mushrooms and it's perfectly fine for an Italian witch to hate both. And just for that remark, Mary Twycross, you are beholden to me to organize another movie night instead of practicing your guitar with Avery, Jasminka and your first-year friends this evening."

"I was looking forward to practice today," Avery calmly protested.

"You've been practicing every free moment you got lately," Blair pouted. "I never get to see my old roommates again."

"Aren't we enough company for you?" Joanna teased with an arch smile as she put her left arm around the smaller girl.

"We are probably very boring," Rajani who sat to the right of the young photographer joined in. "But if it's entertainment Blair wants we could tell some more ghost stories?"

"You can tease her all you want, Rajani. But you take every chance you get to hang out with Sola," Rashmi scolded.

"So do you, sis. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

"So you can spend time with your old roommate, but I can't?"

"There you again with your reversed logic," Rajani rolled her eyes at the girl sitting in front of her in her purple vest and dark-blue shirt.

"I'll ask Diana and Akko if it's alright to have another movie night," Mary said.

"But what about band practice?" Avery demanded.

"We'll cut practice short and have it afterward. And we'll have an extra-long jam-session tomorrow evening to make up for it."

"Don't you, Diana and Akko have your project for practical white magic due on Friday?" Joanna who sat in between Rashmi and Avery asked.

"And you are training for at least two hours a day on the sports field lately," Avery agreed. "Don't do mad things. We'll talk to Filiz and the others and ask them if it's okay to drop practice for this week. I can deal with skipping it for once if we can try my new songs next week."

"If people didn't do mad things they'd never get anything done," Mary smiled and waved her hand. "It'll be fine. And I promise you our project will leave you speechless. Your project was really amazing too, Blair."

"Oh? You think so too?" Avery asked in a very blasé manner. "I suppose if you could make out what was going on despite all the shaking and whatnot it was alright."

"I heard you the first time, Miss first-class critic to the Queen!" Blair huffed to the amusement of her purple-haired friend. "See if you can do better then."

"How did the interrogation go for you?" Joanna, who got bored with the discussion to her left asked her roommate Rashmi.

"He is an intense guy, isn't he?" The Indian said with an awed look in her eyes. "I didn't know the department of order and protection employed ordinary humans."

"I heard they had to because they glaringly lacked experience in this case," Rajani stated.

"Ooh… Don't you know it all?" Her sister huffed.

"I'm just saying what I heard," Rajani commented and crossed her arms defensively. "He really is a strange one though. I didn't have much to tell him anyway. I told him I remember Nela once had a row with Ottylia and Rachel, but I don't know of anyone else that ever rubbed either of them the wrong way. Except for that sad jealousy between Molly and her sister. Nobody's ever going to come between me and my sister like that."

"True words," Rashmi agreed to Joanna's amusement. "I told him the same. I don't know Rachel enough to say anything about her. And I wasn't close with Ottylia cause I thought she was a bit uptight…"

"Rashmi, you should talk kindly…" Rajani whispered with a glance toward Chloe and Gaelle who sat at the lowest row of benches on the other side of the lecture hall's central aisleway.

"Ah, sush! It isn't like they're gonna hear. I didn't have much to tell the Inspector anyway. But he sure got all I did know. You and Wangari can learn a thing or two from that guy," The other sister told her bespectacled roommate."

"I think every one of the third and second years has been interviewed by now," The reporter with the violet hair pondered. "It'll be the first-years now."

"You've been working out a lot yourself, haven't you, Elfriede?" Avery inquired after the previous conversation to Joanna's left had died down.

The warm-hearted brunette with the Hime cut to Avery's right brightened up at the remark.

"It's almost time for the European inter-high competition in October after all! I'm looking forward to it so much," Elfriede wrung her hands impatiently. "I hope I can have a couple of really good bouts with girls who are about equal to me before I have to go up against the likes of Amanda or Ivana Markovic.

Suddenly deflated, she sighed deeply and scratched the wooden desk with the nails of her right-hand fingers.

"I wish I could have had a bout with Abril Saez. We both reached the sixteenth finals in the global competition. She was a very talented fencer and we had fun watching the finals together."

Avery felt for the loss of her friend and attempted to cheer her up.

"I know Diana often helps you and Amanda practice," The girl with the shoulder-length dark-purple hair commented.

"Oh yeah," Elfriede smiled. "Diana is a very good fencer. It's a pity she doesn't care for competitive light saber fencing because she would be really good at it. But Nela and Filiz are also participating this year. I think we'll do well in the global competition with them on our team," The brunette smiled dreamily. "We might even have a shot at dethroning Emma Thomas. Wouldn't that be something?"

I

"Isn't Elfriede cute?" Sarah Bernhardt, who was sitting to the left of Molly Morgan on the other end of the auditorium's central aisle sighed as she played with her fingers and stole glance after glance at her animatedly talking former roommate. "I think it's cool the way she's so uninhibited and carefree and she looks so cool when she's training hard on the sports field or when she practicing for the European Inter-high with Amanda and Diana. But she looks really cute too when she's being modest or clumsy or when she's all blushing and sweaty."

"Huh?" Molly reacted, being shaken out of a moment of sad day-dreaming. "Oh. Elfriede," The girl with the long flowing black hair realized as she turned to look at her roommate's object of affection.

"If you like her like that you should tell her, Sarah. You're so close. You'll never know what might happen between the two of you if you don't try."

"That's right!" Gaelle, who sat underneath Molly exclaimed. "You can't afford to waste time with these things. You should definitely confess your feelings to Elfriede before…" The bespectacled brunette sighed sadly. "I'm sorry. But you shouldn't wait."

"Don't worry," Molly smiled encouragingly. "We know what you mean."

"I try to remember what Headmistress Holbrooke said in her speech at Ottylia's wake: We don't know where the souls reside of anyone who is out of our reach. All we can do is pray that wherever they are they remember we love them," Chloe, who occupied the seat in front of Sarah solemnly quoted.

"It was nice of her family to invite you," Molly said and grimaced at her classmate's words.

"Rachel knows you always love her," Molly," Sarah comforted and rubbed her friend's left shoulder.

"I know. I'm alright. Even if that monster got to her I know my sister remembered I love her most of all," The blackette said, wiping her eyes with her right hand. "I don't think I'll ever see Rachel again, but she knows I love her."

"I think…" Chloe hesitantly began. "Have you talked to Will?"

"Hmhm," Molly smiled softly. "He was very understanding of me not wanting to talk for a while. He felt very guilty actually. Poor Will… He misses Rachel too of course. He was so caring and protective of me when we went for a walk in Blytonbury…"

Sarah observed the smile on Molly's face in awe and decided that she would tell Elfriede how she felt.

"I hope they catch the person who did this to Ottylia and Rachel. And if they do I want to meet them. I want to tell them about how happy Rachel and I used to be when we were together. How close we were. And I will tell them that no matter what Rachel may have said or felt in the last minutes of her life the happiness we shared during our lifetime together will always overshadow the pain of her last moments."

Chloe smiled up at the determined look of the blackette through her tearful eyes.

"I don't think I want to see them when they catch them," The studious blonde said and sniffed. "I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing how I miss Ottylia."

"I'm the same," Gaelle agreed. "I wished Ottylia's soul my love and blessings at the wake. And I want to remember her the way I knew her. I don't want her memory to be fouled by the image of some horrible person who takes pleasure in hurting others."

"It was a beautiful wake. Wasn't it?" Chloe muttered as she looked at her bespectacled roommate.

"Hmhm," The German brunette nodded. "Ottylia's mother is very beautiful and kind. She looked out for everyone and she made sure to talk with everyone who loved her daughter. In my mind I know that's how Ottylia would have grown up. She would have become an awesome person like that."

"Yeah," Chloe returned her friend's smile.

"The remembrance ceremony in the courtyard was beautiful too," Kimberly, who sat to the left of Sarah Bernhardt, gushed. "It felt so powerful to see the students of every magic school in the world on the screens hung up around the courtyard. There are so many of us now. It really brought home to me that we are part of the large extended family of earth's guardians. It was a reminder of what we all felt when Yggdrasil was reborn."

"And when we all took turns talking about the people we lost. That was very comforting," Chloe said.

"Yeah. I had felt so lost up to that moment because nobody knows what happened to Rachel…" Molly grimaced. "But when I talked about her and saw everybody listening and being supportive I didn't feel so alone anymore. I felt like you all understood what I was going through. Even though my situation is different."

Sarah glanced at Elfriede before she put her arm around Molly's shoulders and hugged her.

"And that moment at the end, when everyone appealed to whoever murdered our friends and pleaded for them to stop what they were doing. That was very powerful," Kimberly stated. "Never underestimate the power of the media," The young journalist with the pale brown bob solemnly exhorted. "I really believe we reached the person who did these horrible things."

"I hope we did," Sarah quietly commented while everyone else nodded.

I

"I think I'll talk to headmistress Holbrooke about this…" Hannah muttered with a sour look as she leaned her face on her left arm.

"Why is Sarah always sneakily peeking at us?" Barbara complained to Lotte, who was sitting behind Hannah and in front of Elfriede. "It's really annoying."

"It makes no sense for both of our groups to continue with only two members. If the trolls can move some bunk-beds around we can be a group of four. Being in groups of two will surely affect our grades," Her red-headed friend continued.

"Is that inheritance issue really so bad that Sucy has to finish the year in Jakarta?" Barbara asked.

"She claimed it was!" Hannah exclaimed, almost knocking over the contraption Constanze was working on to her right. "She said they found a huge underground vault filled with priceless and powerful magical artifacts and the Witches Council caught wind and want to oversee the appraisal and cataloging. AND they want to see all the items that were already cataloged."

"What a hassle. I think the Witches Council should stay out of private matters like this," Barbara huffed. "Property is property! They can't claim private heirlooms whenever they feel like it. What do you think, Lotte?"

Lotte valiantly attempted to answer the question, but Hannah interrupted before she had a chance.

"Unfortunately by ratifying the International Accord for the Regulation of Practical Magic nations across the world have given them the power to do just that whenever they deem a magical item to powerful or dangerous to remain in private hands. Phuh! I can't believe all those governments allowed themselves to be fooled by all those big words. Anyone can see the Council rode on Akko and Diana's backs to make themselves more relevant and important than they were."

"Don't we all profit from their efforts to be acknowledged as the main authority in the magical community?!" Lotte piped up. "If the Council had allowed governments to take increased control of magic schools we would be regulated and funded just like regular schools, which would surely have resulted in a great drop in the quality of education. I think the Council had no choice but to profile themselves as much as they could. Maybe they took more control for themselves. But that also allows them to better provide for and protect us."

"I guess Lotte has a point," Barbara smiled at the bespectacled blonde girl whom she always thought looked so handsome in the purple vest and dark-blue shirt of her uniform. "I hadn't looked at things that way yet."

Hannah looked a little sourly at what Constanze was building to her right and at Jasminka eating a packet of crisps next to Lotte while thinking once again that Barbara and her girlfriend might get along a little less irritatingly well sometimes. It didn't help that she realized she was starting to miss Sucy. Constanze's skin color didn't allow for much variation. Frank could expect her to let him know about every one of her complaints later that evening. At least she had dear accommodating Frank to cheer her up.

"If they are supposed to be providing so well for us why can't they do something about the situation in the cafeteria?" The redhead asked Lotte. "All we've gotten is mushroom soup this week."

"Yeah!" Jasminka squeaked and continued eating chips.

"There's a food shortage all over Europe," The Fin answered. "It's not the Council's fault. Somehow nothing the school orders even makes it safely to Blytonbury."

"That's true," Barbara remarked. "Professor Badcock told me either the truck gets into an accident or gets hijacked or the delivery ends up in Wales or when something does arrive, when they open the delivery the trolls find everything is spoiled beyond redemption."

"The school is doing all they can," Lotte said while adjusting her glasses. "The people in Blytonbury and elsewhere are having a hard time too. Restaurants have had to close because groceries have become so expensive they can't make a profit anymore, even with the national emergency tax-cut. And supermarkets across the country aren't able to keep the shelves stocked."

"It is quite horrible," Barbara grimaced. "Gaelle told me her family has had to resort to eating canned ham for breakfast last week."

Hannah shared her friend's disgusted expression.

At the moment Chariot finally entered the lecture hall Constanze finished her appliance. It seemed nothing more than an about 15 cm square cube made of polished wood with a translucent cylinder and a smaller cube on top of the cylinder. Jasminka handed her friend a small brick of milk, which Constanze poured into the top cube. By the time Chariot had installed herself at the pulpit The German magical engineer opened a hatch in the bottom cube, took out a cup filled with strawberry iced cream and handed it to the delighted Jasminka.

"I am sorry for being late," Chariot said. She didn't really look sorry to Akko. She looked radiant. As if something very nice had happened to her.

"I am aware that these past weeks have been very eventful and very very sorrowful. That is why even though the news I am going to share with you is exciting to me I am sorry that it comes at such a difficult time for you all…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other end of Luna Nova's main building, Isabelle Hoschedé was leisurely staring out of the large windows to her left while Anne Finnelan wrapped up the lesson on metamorphosis magic.

"... all know, the subject you have transformed will naturally always possess the basic properties of the subject you transformed it into. For example, if you transform yourself into a frog you will weigh as much, be the same size as and possess the same physical strength as a frog. Very similar to how it is when applying alchemy to alter an object. Now that you are all thoroughly adept at Metamorphosis magic, next week, we will see how these restrictions can be bypassed and on what conditions."

The tall dignified woman took a moment to observe every pupil individually. Then she hemmed shortly.

"Class dismissed."

All of the first-year students slowly got up and gathered their books in order to proceed to lecture hall 4 for the magic pharmaceutics class.

Isabelle took her yellow-tinted shades from their case and was about to place them over her eyes while her roommates got up next to her.

"No sunglasses inside of the lecture hall, Miss Hoschedé. The rulebook is clear on the school's dress code," Anne, who had ascended the stairs to the trio sternly warned.

"Yes, Professor Finnelan," The girl with the purple bob giggled and placed the shades back in their case.

"I was waiting for a chance to talk to the three of you," Anne Finnelan said while her eyes took in Isabelle, Nela, and Filiz alternately. "I have heard about how Mary Twycross and you have been spending time with Gaelle, Chloe, Molly and the girls who were friends or acquainted with the witches from other magic schools who died before their time.

I must commend you for this sacrifice of your time and the compassion with which you have listened to and comforted the girls who lost a loved one. I heard they have been drawing a lot of comfort from how you have tried to cheer them up and distract them."

"Thank you, Miss Finnelan," Filiz cheerfully bowed. "But it hasn't been any trouble at all. I have had some news recently that bothered me, but when thinking about it I found everything wasn't all bad. When Mary asked us to help her I felt like helping my fellow students to find the positive in their lives and hold onto that while overcoming the pain of their loss."

Nela watched Anne smile at Filiz's warm words while the last pupils left them alone with their teacher in the classroom.

"It has actually been very nice to get to know our seniors better," Isabelle smiled graciously. "We made new friends."

"Yes," Nela nodded. "It's like while they lost someone dear to them they also gained new friends thanks to us for wanting to spend time with them."

Isabelle threw her roommate a weird look and Nela saw her teacher grimace almost imperceptibly.

"In any case," The tall brunette said. "As a Luna Nova staff member, I thank you for being there for your fellow students in their time of need. And I apologize for keeping you occupied. You better hurry now before the next class starts."

Anne turned around and walked down the stairs toward the pulpit to gather her books.  
A movement drew her eyes to the lecture hall's entrance where she saw a tall black woman with black-and-white cornrows ending in two buns at the back of her head and a burly Chinese woman with a short green ponytail stand on either side of the arched doorway in their light-blue tunics of the department of order and protection.

"We heard student Nela Novotna was still in this auditorium," The black woman, who just like her colleagues from the civil aid division wore an owl's tail feather through the rounded off tip of her witches hat called out.

"That is correct," Anne said and raised her gaze back towards her pupils. "Nela? It seems the investigators want to talk to you next. I hope you will help them to the best of your ability."

The Czech looked from Anne Finnelan to the two women and smiled.

"I will, professor Finnelan. I will be with them in a minute."

"I'll bring your stuff along, Nela. Don't worry. They're very friendly."

Nela watched Filiz's kind smile and chuckled dismissively.

"Of course they are friendly. They want to put us off guard."

"Just don't say anything weird," Isabelle, who stood to Nela's left smirked.

"Maybe you should take care they don't hear that weird laugh of yours when they interview you," The blonde returned.

Leaving her books behind, Nela calmly walked past her confidently smiling French roommate as the latter moved aside to allow her passage and descended the stairs.

"Nice to meet you, Nela. We are sorry to disturb your day," The Chinese woman greeted as the Czech approached the Witches Council investigators. "My name is Yuan Long San. This here is my colleague Karabo Mahlangu. If you will allow us to take care of you and follow us we will bring you to the room where the interview will take place. It is just around the corner."

* * *

The three of them left the auditorium in silence and walked through the crimson-carpeted hallway with oak-paneled walls to the left and high arched windows to the right, turning the corner to the right.

In the north corridor, Long San opened the second door on the left.

Nela walked into a room about ten meters wide and fifteen meters long. There wasn't much in the way of lighting. The Czech could just make out the color of the green carpet and carved wood panels. In the middle of the room sat a man in an upholstered yellow fauteuil with his back to her.

"Welcome!" The man called out.

He did sound friendly.

"Nela Novotna, is it? Back before I became a police commissioner there was a Czech informant who often helped me out. Come and have a seat."

Nela decided to take up the invitation… or the challenge and walked toward the investigator.

In front of the man was another fauteuil, which was a copy of the one he occupied. In between the fauteuils was a small four-legged square table with two bottles of water and a thirty centimeters pillar candle on a gilded candlestick.

Nela sat down in the empty fauteuil and almost immediately experienced a hard lump underneath the fabric.

"Hello, Nela. My name is Bas Vaarden."

The man was very handsome. He was tall and muscular. He had a kind, round face with short-cropped sandy blonde hair that was modeled into two cute tips that stuck up at the front on either side of his face. He wore a simple white shirt with rolled-up sleeves over black trousers held up with a dark belt. In the light cast by the lamp, Nela could see a scar on the skin of his lower right arm.

Behind him, on either side of the door was a cocktail table with a dark cover. The table on her right side was lighted by another pillar candle and was occupied by Long San and Karabo. The other table was covered in darkness, but Nela was able to make out a person about Long San's height who seemed to be wearing a mask.

"I hope you don't mind Officers Yuan and Mahlangu standing behind me. The Witches Council decided that its officers didn't have enough experience to handle a case like this on their own. That's why they contracted retired men like myself to handle the interviews and allow their officers to learn from us."

"Who is the other person," Nela asked abruptly.

"I'm sorry," Bas smiled. "She is another officer. But I am not allowed to reveal her name."

"Is this legal?"

"I'm afraid it is under the International Accord for the Regulation of Practical Magic. I found myself questioning several things I was confronted with when I took this job. But it seemed very interesting."

Nela watched Bas's smiling face. A darkened room with a candle in between them and three spectators in her line of vision. She had been wrong: They were going out of their way to make sure she was on her guard. They wanted to make her nervous. She used a spell to teleport the hard lump under her seat underneath the table. She was going to enjoy this.

"There is water in the bottle if you feel thirsty. If you prefer something else I'm sure we can get something for you. Or you can transform the water into whatever you want, I suppose," Bas laughed.

"In spite of these circumstances, I hope you can relax in my company. We realize what happened to your friends shocked you all. I want these interviews to be a kind of therapy for you as well as a means for us to gather information."

"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness," Nela smiled back at the handsome investigator. "I hope I can help you catch the murderer. What is it you want to ask me?"

* * *

"I wonder whether they already have a lead or even a suspect?" Filiz idly wondered as she walked through the hallway to classroom 4 ahead of a distracted Isabelle in the opposite direction Nela had followed.

"I can't imagine most of us First-years would be of use. Most of us had little to no contact with Rachel or Ottylia. What do you think, Isabelle?"

The door of a small room in the wall to the right of them suddenly opened and struck Isabelle as she ran into it.

"Hahaha! Isabelle, you should be more careful where you walk," Filiz said as she closed the door without looking and put a hand on the shoulder of her roommate who was nursing her face with her hands and moaned in pain.

"Are you alright?" Filiz inquired.

"Yes," Came the subdued answer as the French witch still rubbed her sore forehead.

"Let's go then. We're already late."

Filiz led the way to the classroom again. But at the moment Isabelle passed the door carefully it opened again.

Filiz was quick to push her friend back as a person dressed in full medieval body armor lounged at the purple-haired girl with their sword.

With superhuman speed, the person retracted the sword and sliced at Filiz, but the Japanese witch teleported the armored attacker to the other end of the hallway as Isabelle quickly got to her feet.

Rather than the intended position their assailant appeared beside Filiz and swiped at her again with a speed she could hardly register.

The blackette in her hasty attempt to deflect the attack fell down and followed up on the unintended action by delivering a kick to her attacker's supporting ankle which had the person falling over.  
At the same time, the girl with the black ponytail cast a low-level spell.

Isabelle quickly teleported Filiz and herself to the other end of the hallway, but in trying to turn the corner to the left they found a magically erected wall blocking their path.

* * *

"I'd like you to tell me about the friends you have in Luna Nova," Bass smiled. "Just list all of your friends. You don't have to introduce them or anything. I just would like to know who is important to you."

"There's nobody important to me," Nela smirked. "Except for Akko. I don't need friends."

"I see," Bas commented with a frown. "You might not have known a lot of people you got along with in your past. But you're still young, you know? Lots of lonely people make many friends when they go to university or get a job."

"I'm not lonely," Nela smiled as she shifted her long legs and leaned back in the fauteuil. "I learned a long…"

"Filiz considers you her friend."

"... ti…" The blonde instantly recovered and smiled confidently. "What a low trick so early in the interview."

"Why do you consider what I said a trick? Is Filiz not your friend."

"No. She's much more important than a friend and much more useful. Filiz is my rival."

"Your rival?"

"You wouldn't understand," Nela sourly returned.

"Hahaha!" Bas laughed out loud. "I labored night and day for ten years to put the biggest mob-boss in Amsterdam behind bars. We constantly tried to outmaneuver one another. I built my entire career on that relationship, and you think I don't know about rivals, young lady?"

"You seem like the kind of person who likes to talk about themselves. Is that a good trait for an investigator?"

"Why is Akko Kagari special to you?"

Nela chuckled. What was this guy saying?

"Why Akko is special? Do you even know where you are?"

"I know. I know…" Bas smiled. "She is something like a living messiah to witches, isn't she? But you're not a witch."

"I'm a witch," Nela corrected. "I'm a magic school student. So I'm a witch."

"What I mean is you don't come from a family of witches. I got the feeling that was a big deal among these people. Why is Akko so important to you? Why did she make you want to become a witch?"

"So I can push myself," Nela half-reflected. I was enjoying fencing. But it didn't really feel satisfying in the end. When I saw Akko ride her broom and destroy that missile I saw something I had been wanting all my life without realizing. And later I discovered I could become a witch too. Although I had already decided I would be one when I saw Akko."

"And Filiz helps you to push yourself," Bas commented. "You see? I do know about rivals."

Nela couldn't help but smile.

"She's quite popular, this rival of yours. Must be frustrating at times. She's glamorous. She's a people person. You're a loner. Doesn't it bother you that she gets appreciated so much more while you're her equal?"

"It bothers me a little," Nela admitted surly. "But the only thing that really matters to me is that both of us know what we can do."

"I heard you had quite a row with Ottylia when she mentioned Filiz is far beyond the other first-years in terms of ability. Harsh words were said apparently."

Nela smirked and shifted her legs again. It had begun.

* * *

Filiz quickly yanked loose a large ruby she had been wearing as a pendant underneath her shirt and threw it on the ground, breaking it with her heel.  
At the same time, she held Isabelle's hand and as both were enveloped in a red glow the Japanese witch declared: "Chuluuny jin ni bidend ödtei adil yum! Shonkhor nadad udaan baina! Minii daisnuudyn tsokhilt ünselt met sanagdaj baina!"

The two witches jumped aside with a rapidity the human eye could hardly register as their assailant came at them and sliced a shallow wound in the French witch's shoulder.

Having a tiny moment to think Filiz conjured up a light saber and sliced the sword of their enemy while Isabelle did the same. The armored menace quickly followed suit and made a lounge at Filiz, which she parried with great effort.  
Then the attacker teleported behind Isabelle and Filiz narrowly managed to save her roommate's neck while the armored person sliced at her waist.

"Murowa!" Isabelle exclaimed and raised her hand at the windows while Filiz parried an attack and tried to kick her assailant in the stomach only to be outmaneuvered and having to desperately defend against a series of inhumanly fast slashes.

To the purple-haired witch's shock, her spell yielded no effect.

"We'll have to try the old fashioned way!" Filiz yelled and threw herself with superhuman force at the window while Isabelle deflected another swipe from their assailant.  
The brunette's "kamikaze" attack at the windows was equally without success, and both witches concluded that a strong magical barrier had been created around the hallway.

Filiz cast a spell at the wall that separated them from auditorium 4 while using her light saber to destroy a dozen golden daggers her attacker had conjured up. But the spell had no effect.

The witch barely jumped out of the way of an attack that sliced open her left sleeve and left a thin bloody mark along her arm. At the same time, she teleported right behind Isabelle, followed by the attacker who clashed blades with the purple-haired witch. Teleporting away again, Filiz destroyed another dozen daggers with her light saber and exclaimed: "An explosion for our wicked murderer!"

In an instant, their attacker teleported behind Filiz and attempted to stab her, which caused the Japanese witch to teleport before her roommate from which position she released an explosion spell toward her attacker which was annulled immediately.

Their attacker teleported right behind the two witches and they barely managed to teleport to the other side of the hallway.  
Filiz used the explosion spell again with equal effect.

Then she and Isabelle were grabbed by six arms each, which appeared from the walls. Filiz used a spell to melt three of the arms grabbing hold of her and her friend, allowing Isabelle to use her light saber in order to destroy several daggers the armored witch had conjured up.

More arms appeared which grabbed them tight. Isabelle started to sweat profusely and grew aware that the air looked increasingly blurry. Her skin started to hurt.

"She did something to the air! She's trying to bake us!" The French witch exclaimed.

At that moment the otherwise harmless time-spell Filiz had cast earlier took effect.  
With a loud sizzling sound, the Temporal Beacon spell tore through the magical barrier cast around the hallway.

Filiz cast a spell that shattered all of the arms that were holding her and her roommate and while receiving numerous cuts from several daggers she and Isabelle jumped through the tear in the present while Filiz grabbed into a pocket for something she had received from Headmistress Holbrooke and threw it into the time rift.

Instead of arriving several minutes ago as they expected they found themselves instantly back in the burning hot hallway, their skin developing first degree burns all over while their armored assailant threw a barrage of golden daggers at them.

The two witches desperately destroyed the first volley with their light sabers, receiving several gushing wounds in the process while moving at light speed to avoid as many of the projectiles as they could.  
Then Filiz glanced at the foaming fissure in time and grinned at their would-be assassin.

"Let's blow this battle wide open," She said before the fermenting spotted dragon bread spores she had sown into the tear through time caused an explosion that closed it up but blew open the entire wall and released the content of the hallway into the courtyard.

* * *

Bas Vaarden frowned at the shaking candle and table as the muffled sound of the blast was heard inside the interrogation room and burst out laughing while rubbing the back of his head with his left arm.

"Hahaha! I guess someone isn't getting a passing grade on her test."

"How about you?" Nela smirked.

"Pardon?"

"Are you going to get a passing grade? How many students have you interviewed? Have you even got a suspect yet?"

"We're getting there," Bass simply answered.

"Are you?" Nela chuckled. "Because the fact that the Council has to employ pensioners to help them doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence."

Nela took the bottle of water intended for her and sat back as she shifted her legs again inside her violet skirt and drank from the bottle.

"I'm even getting the feeling you're so inept as to consider me a suspect," The blonde grinned.

"Well, to be fair: with the way you're behaving anyone would think you're suspicious," Bas sweated.

* * *

"... That is why, if you mix in a tail of salamander, you have to make sure you have the appropriate species of salamander," Professor Lukic said in her creaky voice." I will talk about the legal repercussions in my…"

The sight of several lifted fingers finally caught the old woman's attention and she lifted her purple pointy hat to scratch her long gray-blue hair before placing her hands on the surface of the pulpit in front of her, saying: "Yesss?"

"Professor Lukic? Shouldn't we check where that explosion came from? It sounded nearby," A blonde first-year with long curly hair asked.

"Yes. Very nearby," A short Polynesian added.

"Hahahagahahahahahahaha!"

Lukic's dreaded laugh resounded around the lecture hall, causing half the class to recoil in fear.

"I can assure you, there is nothing to be worried about," Carmen Lukic grinned with gleeful eyes. "But in order to set your young minds at ease, I will go out shortly and take a look."

The students watched how their teacher slowly walked toward the steps that would bring her from the rostrum to the floor.

Professor Lukic carefully descended the four steps until she found herself on level ground.

From there she leisurely shuffled toward the arched doorway to the hallway, step by step, step by step, step by step, step by step…

The first-year students watched the wise old woman open the door and step through it.

Then they waited and looked at each other.

After a minute or two, their teacher walked into the room again and closed the door. She shuffled slowly towards the rostrum, ascended the four steps deliberately and walked carefully back to the pulpit.

"Dear girls," Carmen Lukić addressed her students with an amused smile. "I will need a volunteer to alert your Principal Holbrooke. It seems that your classmates Filiz Osdemir and Isabelle Hochedé are fighting a person in medieval armor inside the courtyard and have destroyed the wall facing the courtyard in the process.

* * *

Filiz was thinking fast while she and the armored person were teleporting around each other at a dazzling speed while exchanging blows with their light sabers that created shockwave effects so powerful they whipped the walls of the school and cut and bruised her all over.

If one such attack hit her squarely her body wouldn't just be sliced in half, it would be sprayed out over the school walls or the grass below.

Meanwhile, Isabelle was exchanging light speed energy attacks with their assailant as she flew on her broom, dodging energy-snakes that chased her around the courtyard and huge spikes that shot out of the ground and tried to pierce her before disappearing again.

Each of the attacks their assailant cast was too powerful for them to even annul. They could only stay alive by teleporting around the courtyard, where they were trapped by the powerful spell Filiz knew her fufian teachers had cast to help the investigators from the department of order and protection.

The Japanese witch reasoned that the person she was fighting was an extremely skilled witch. A person like her, being a witch, meant that her powers would also be enhanced tenfold. As such, she and Isabelle might be attacked with spells that even most of their teachers weren't able to use.

They had already observed advanced dimensional magic back when their attacker foiled her plan to use a relatively easy time-spell to go back to the moment the armored witch first appeared and were instantly returned to the present. Apparently she could also levitate without the help of a broom.

So, it was logical that they might expect to be displaced in time and space sooner or later. They needed a very powerful dimensional beacon spell to keep their attacker from making them more vulnerable by transporting them away from their teachers who would hopefully come to their aid fast.

As she came to that conclusion, Isabelle managed to come close enough to take over the fencing match for a moment while her roommate kept the armored person busy with energy attacks while teleporting around on her broom in order to dodge the fireballs her assailant cast at her and the energy-snakes that chased her.

Proof to her theory came fast when the clearly experienced fencer Isabelle was desperately defending herself against but receiving several bleeding wounds from cast a gravitational compression spell at the Japanese witch that she was just able to dodge and thrilled her to the core.

There were dimensional beacon spells she could use that she learned about in books dealing with modern magic, but Filiz had the feeling something more obscure would be safer. Something like the otherworld-guidance spell she had recently discovered in that Spanish account of Mayan witchcraft.

Suddenly, their attacker shot a blinding ray of energy straight down at the Japanese witch that burned her back as she barely cleared its path and used another spell to shatter the spikes that tried to pierce her before teleporting to the other side of the courtyard in order to avoid a cluster of blue energy balls which closed in on her.

As Filiz dodged another series of spikes that aimed for her at the position she reappeared in the armored person flew straight at her and was about to fire another attack.

"If you want to fight all the Luna Nova first-years at once you targeted the right person!" "You vicious murderer!"

The attacker dodged two-thirds of Filiz and Nela's classmates who flew at her from the hole in the second floor and blasted a bombardment of offensive spells at her which were almost all annulled immediately but granted Isabelle and Filiz costly time to maneuver.

'Isabelle!' Filiz communicated telepathically while joining her classmates in firing every conceivable fire-and-energy attack at the armored person while teleporting out of the way of energy-snakes to the other end of the courtyard, where she teleported away from a blue energy ball her assailant had fired at her.

'Do you remember the Mayan inter-dimensional spell I taught you from that Spanish diary? "Yaan seres…" is how it started.'

'Yes... I know what you mean.' The French witch answered while dodging an attack from the armored witch which Filiz intercepted before taking Isabelle's place as their attacker's fencing partner.

'We need to use it now!'

While dodging more fireballs and golden swords which the armored assassin was able to fire at her despite being assaulted by magical attacks 40 other witches and having a life or death bout with Filiz, Isabelle pronounced the words of the ancient spell.

"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob. Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"

As she finished the incantation, the French witch was astounded by the sensation it produced. She somehow felt more real. More grounded in reality.

To keep surviving in that reality, however, she had to dodge new energy-snakes the armored witch had sent after her.

"Hahaha! That spell is amazing!" Filiz meanwhile yelled as she parried a blow from their would-be assassin that whipped her now raggedly clothed right arm and produced a shockwave that obliterated a window in the wall to her right. "I never felt so alive, yeah!"

Sophia, Isabelle's big Greek friend, together with Abigail and Uaterereta ran out of the hallway on the ground floor into the courtyard and watched the battle above.

The Greek and Peruvian observed with an intrigued expression how a severely wounded Filiz fired a heat blast at the armored assailant who stopped her pursuit of Isabelle to annul the blast and used her light saber to whip a shockwave towards the blackette that sliced right through the school building.

"What are you two delinquents doing just standing there?!" Uaterereta exclaimed. "Help me protect our Princess!" The Namibian yelled as she shot a huge fire blast at the attacker.

* * *

"Still…." Bas pondered as he leaned forward and rested his chin on the knuckles of his scarred right arm. "Filiz doesn't seem all that impressive compared to what some of those second-year witches have been able to accomplish.  
When you think about it, what has she done that is so amazing?

I know the three of you produced a spell that translates a certain troll language into English. She also created a golem that was able to breathe fire, and she is a grade-A student. But compared to some of the second-year students… "

"You really don't know what you're talking about," Nela snapped. "Do you think I would take just any studious witch as my rival? Don't you think I would measure myself to Diana Cavendish if I didn't think Filiz is near on par with her?!

Filiz and I knew nothing about magic when we joined. After our first lessons, we just seemed to get into it faster and faster and worked harder and harder in a bid to outdo each other. Since we became students here, the knowledge and the powers we have accumulated are astounding to anyone who knows anything about magic!"

Bas raised an incredulous eyebrow and crossed his arms while leaning back as his spirited Czech interviewee with the long wavy blonde hair sat forward.

"... We didn't have family members who taught us the basics when we were young, but we do have a natural affinity to magic. Filiz can do many things I have to push myself to surpass!"

"What has she done that was such a hurdle for you to match?  
Her performance at Blytonbury in August, for example, doesn't seem that impressive. All she did was create a fire-show. You conjured up two armies of kites and had them perform complex choreographies."

"Just a fire-show?! Filiz created a half-hour long theater in the sky with characters of which the eyes and hair moved as if they were living creatures! I practiced into the night before the performance to get my act on par with what I knew she would bring to the table! "

"But Nela…" Bas suddenly turned very serious. "You told everybody you were studying at the Luna Nova archives that entire evening. Just like the previous four evenings. Even though one of your teachers forgot you had reserved the archives and went to research something at the same time you were supposed to be there but didn't see you."

Nela suddenly turned pale. She tried to hide it and sat back, acting casually. But she knew very well what had happened. Bas Vaarden had reached the goal of everything he had said to her up to now.

"Nela... what were you really doing at twelve-thirty the night before the one in which you now claim you were practicing to perfect your act for the Blytonbury performance, but you previously claimed to have been studying?  
What were you doing the night Abril Saez died? "

But he had not won the battle yet. And he was way off in any case.

Nela and the other witches turned their eyes on the opening door to the hallway through which a burly shadow with a department of order and protection witches hat appeared and walked up to Long San and Karabo.  
After an excitedly whispered conversation, one of the observing officers who seemed to be Karabo left the room with the other witch. Nela turned her eyes on Bas again and chose her words carefully.

* * *

The first-years, which were now almost all bound to the courtyard walls by arms or to the ground by vines, again and again, attempted to cast spells to slow the armored assassin down so Filiz and Isabelle might have a fighting chance.  
Few managed to take effect, but each one that did, helped their hero and her friend avoid getting impaled by an enormous spike, getting evaporated by a powerful imploding blue energy ball, or getting shot by a volley of a hundred bullets.

The armored witch momentarily floated high in the middle of the courtyard and conjured up a glowing grey ball in her right hand. At once the glow of the ball spread over the entire courtyard. None of Filiz and Isabelle's classmates were able to lift a finger anymore.

But to the assasin's surprise her two targets were still teleporting from one spot to another in trying to save their lives from her attacks.

As Filiz expected, her hunter had cast a powerful Gravitational Pull Enhancement spell, but the spell she and Isabelle had luckily cast earlier had grounded their dimensional center in the seventh dimension which made them immune to spells that impacted their position relative to time and space. Until the armored murderer deduced what spell they had used or where their dimensional center was they would still have a fighting chance.

The Japanese witch had never seen the likes of the powers currently unleashed on her and her classmates. If not for her resourcefulness they wouldn't have stood a chance.

Chased by several fireballs she teleported away from a green energy shimmer that she noticed had enough concentrated destructive power to evaporate a small nation.

Isabelle conjured up a large translucent orb that attacked their approaching assailant as they continued to teleport around the courtyard to avoid getting killed by their would-be assassin's various attacks. But the armored person quickly destroyed the object with a spell of her own and cast several energy-snakes which immediately went in pursuit of their prey.

While Filiz tried to ward off the vicious and high-speed attacks of her superiorly skilled foe with her light saber and the aid of various spells, she and Isabelle took turns relieving one another taking the initiative against their foe as the deadly serpentines in pursuit of them followed their antics relentlessly.

Suddenly the person in the medieval armor ceased her pursuit and conjured dozens of fireballs which she threw at her targets as they flew away from one another along the walls of the school building with the energy snakes behind them.

The armored assailant who was floating high in the middle of the courtyard held her right fist high and then opened it. At once all the fireballs disappeared and while Filiz and Isabelle shot out from the explosion created by the colliding energy snakes their attacker conjured up hundreds of golden swords that all flew towards them.

The two young witches desperately dodged the swords and Filiz teleported to the other end of the courtyard. Then, to her shock, she involuntarily teleported to Isabelle's side where she barely teleported away from a blue energy ball of enormous power which nearly killed Isabelle as it imploded.

Their assailant didn't leave Filiz much time to think as she tried to go in the offensive to give her roommate time to recover, but the blackette quickly realized what had happened.  
Their enemy evidently knew about her Safe Haven spell, so in this situation, it would be a liability to be teleported to Isabelle's side whenever her intuition made her aware of any danger.

But there was something else.

The energy ball shouldn't have surprised Isabelle. If the attacker had wanted to surprise Filiz she had to cast the spell at the moment the pony-tailed blackette teleported away toward her friend.

In that case, Isabelle should have had enough time to teleport away when the armored witch cast the spell that created the energy ball. So ordinarily the trap couldn't work, because if Isabelle evaded the attack, Filiz would be safe too. Such was the simple brilliance of the Safe Haven spell.

The Japanese witch had observed without a doubt that the speed granted her and Isabelle thanks to the Mongolian Berserker spell was nearly on par with the speed of the armored menace. There was no way their assailant could cast a spell to launch an attack that Isabelle wouldn't perceive in time to react.

The only conclusion Filiz could make was that the murderer was using that most elusive of magic: time magic, in order to not only freeze time but to do something even more perversely skillful. This witch was able to use magic while time was frozen!

Going back in time and freezing time for short spells were highly advanced skills.  
Most witches were only able to manage it for the space of a few seconds. In those seconds the caster was able to move freely around and nothing more.

Using magic in frozen time, even for the duration of a second was a skill hitherto unheard of.  
It required not only for a witch to possess an unusual amount of magical power but also superior skill and concentration.

With the speed at which they were able to teleport now, time magic was of little use in this battle. But someone who can use magic in frozen time would be able to turn it into a powerful weapon if she could predict the movements of her prey.

As Isabelle teleported in between her roommate and their assailant a moment after Filiz was pierced through the shoulder by the magically protruding spike on the shoulder of the armor, the Japanese witch lifted the Safe Haven spell.

Making quick and complex calculations she cast a spell on herself and Isabelle that would grant them the Safe Haven effect with any of their classmates in a non-consecutive order.

As Isabelle appeared in front of Sophia and teleported away again when she got shot at with energy beams coming from the pointer finger of their merciless assailant Filiz cast a counterspell to direct the attack back at the murderer, who made it dissipate right before her.

The Japanese witch couldn't get enough of the power and skill she was witnessing.

The armored witch then conjured up several volleys of golden swords which both of her targets luckily managed to survive even if they received numerous profusely bleeding wounds in the arms, legs, shoulders, and sides.

But immediately when they reappeared at another spot in the courtyard their attacker appeared in front of them with another attack and they involuntarily teleported, again and again, each time barely escaping with their lives.

If not for the adjusted Instant Teleportation spell and the spell Filiz had cast back inside the school building earlier they would have been long dead.

But then, to the relief of the two much-enduring witches, the Gravitational Pull Enhancement spell was lifted, allowing their classmates to try and fight free from their magical bonds again, and about sixteen officers from the department of order and protection now flew out of the heavily damaged school cast a containment spell and surrounded their attacker.

* * *

"I don't think I have to tell you that the Witches Council is very invested in this case," Bas Vaarden stated sternly while leaning forward and looking intensely into Nela's eyes.

"What's going on outside?" Nela asked. "It's been one explosion after the other!"

"There is a battle going on in the courtyard. Chief Commissioner Karabo will take care of it."

"Huh?" The blonde witch looked surprised. "How do you know? They didn't tell you anything. Using telepathy for communication with ordinary people is a serious crime."

"None of that has anything to do with you. You only need to pay attention to me now. Because I am the only one who can help you get trialed by a Czech court. Do you know that the Witches Council has permission to trial any witch found guilty of a crime in their own courts?"

"What?!" Nela exclaimed as her eyes grew wide.

"Yes. In order to protect witches from persecution the Witches Council intensively lobbied to get full legal authority over crimes involving witches," The broad, handsome, blonde Dutchman spoke agitatedly. "Which means you will not be trialed in a Czech court with your boyfriend from Poslední Fronta!"

"What?!" The seventeen-year-old now sat bolt upright in total incomprehension.

* * *

"I am Karabo Mahlangu! Chief Commissioner for the West-European Territory! Know that you are from here on arrested under the jurisdiction granted to the civil aid division of the department of order and protection of the Witches Council under article…"

The armored person looked in Karabo's direction without moving, without saying a word.

Isabelle turned her face to the right where Filiz was quietly, ominously singing with a strange grin on her face and a fiery radiance in her dark-brown eyes.

"Dilimde şarkıların gündüz gece…"

"Careful everyone," Karabo warned, eyeing her fifteen subordinates who nervously floated on their brooms. "I think we all saw the kinds of things this person is capable of."

"Deli gibi aşığım sana..."

Two officers in the light-blue tunics of the department of order and protection stood beside Filiz and Isabelle, casting a few basic healing spells to restore their blood volume and superficially heal their wounds as well as a spell to clothe them in fresh uniforms since the ones both girls had on looked like rags.

"You can relax now, girls. We will protect you from now on," The brunette officer next to Filiz smiled.

With the speed of a hunter, the armored attacker turned her face to the left and with a movement from her left hand, the officers guarding her victims were gone.

Isabelle braced herself.

"Bu dünyayı yakariz…!"

"Teleport her to the holding…!"

The armored assassin held up her right fist and opened her fingers at once. At that moment all the department of order and protection officers disappeared.

"... aşkımızın şiddeti ile!"

Like a flash of lightning, Filiz flew forward while, as her opponent raised her left hand and closed it into a fist, all the fireballs that disappeared earlier shot at her from every direction.

The Japanese witch thrust her left hand forward from which several ice-blue flashes shot into the direction of her adversary and teleported right beside the armored assassin in an instant.

As the magical projectiles exploded into the walls of the school building both women continuously teleported around one another at light speed while the clashing of their light sabers made it seem like a blueish white light traversed the courtyard's airspace in all directions.

* * *

"Don't act innocent with me, Nela!" Bas yelled. "Evžen Čížek ratted on his buddy, Jiri, and told us you are his girlfriend!"

"Jiri?!" Nela exclaimed again.

"Evžen told us the two of you planned to infiltrate Luna Nova and kill a bunch of girls in order to impress the top dogs in Poslední Fronta!" The man in the white trousers and the black shirt with the white collar yelled as the girl he was trying to corner into confessing burst out in an uncontrollable giggle.

"Those guys are idiots! You are all idiots!" Nela giggled.

"I am the only one who can save you from whatever the Witches Council has planned for the murderer of thirty-three witches! Tell me the truth!"

"I just did!" Nela yelled back and got up from her seat. "You are looking in the wrong place to get the monster that killed our friends! Now let me go and see what's going on outside!"

"Where were you on the night of the seventeenth of August!" Bas yelled as he flipped the low table in between them, candle and all.

"Fine! I'll go without your permission!" Nela exclaimed and teleported away.

* * *

Norah, a Moroccan witch, finally managed to free herself from the vines that held her and started freeing her friends while Filiz and her opponent tried their best to end each other's lives in their high-speed duel.

Some of the first-years started to rally their heroine with cheers like: "Get her, Filiz!" and "You can take her!"

Those witches instantly disappeared from the courtyard.

After receiving so many wounds from her assailant earlier, in a flash, Filiz managed to slice a piece of the armored person's shoulder. But while that slice of armor fell down into the courtyard, as the two duelists continued their battle, Filiz noticed the assassin's shoulder was totally fine.

Sophia, Uaterereta, and Sheryl watched the spectacle above them with bated breath, unable to cast any spell to help their friend because they couldn't target the right person with the horrendous speed at which the two were doing battle.

Then, the sound of approaching footsteps in the hallway turned their heads.

To their relief, Amanda, Akko, Chariot, Diana, and their friends, finally made aware of the battle because of all the explosions, ran into the courtyard and looked up at the light show created by the two combatants

"What has been going on here?!" Chariot exclaimed as she scratched her red hair.

"Filiz is fighting the serial killer!" Uaterereta excitedly faced her teacher.

"That's Filiz up there?!" Amanda reacted in disbelief.

"Where are the officers from the Witches Council? Diana, can you locate them?"

"The murderer made 'm all vanish," Sheryl interrupted the alarmed teacher. "Ain't nobody here to arrest that brute anymore."

"We have to do something. Filiz can't possibly last long against this person!" Mary anxiously remarked and shared a look with Akko, who stood to her left.

"How can we do anything while they are fighting so close together?!" The brunette reacted.

Diana looked from the Japanese witch next to her toward the light in the sky.

"I've never sensed so much magical power from one person," She commented in an awed voice. "Mary is right. Filiz can't fight this person for long. We have to help her!"

"Before we do anything, I want everyone but Diana, Akko, Mary, Jasminka, Constanze, Amanda, Lotte, Barbara, and Hannah to run to safety and get Principal Holbrooke and Vice-Principal Badcock here!" Chariot ordered.

"What?!" An alarmed Hannah exclaimed. "Why do I have to stay? You want me to help fight that murderer?!"

As the second-year students debated on the best course of action and the students Chariot had ordered to safety left the courtyard the armored menace finally managed to outmaneuver her opponent again and kicked Filiz into the air like a football, releasing a wide blue energy blast at the Japanese witch.

The spell Filiz had cast upon herself after the balcony-incident instantly teleported her next to Nela while Chariot, Diana, Akko, and Mary cast a magical translucent cocoon and enveloped the armored person in it.

"It's a medieval armor!" Amanda exclaimed as due to the person who had been fighting Filiz now standing still and pondering the situation the American was now able to distinguish her shape. "Surely it's not another one possessed by Magitronic units?"

"No," Chariot answered. "This is nothing of the kind. Our opponent is much more powerful, and Croix is not our enemy. She feels very guilty about the things she did.'"

"How can you be so certain?" Amanda demanded.

"Besides, knucklehead," Akko deadpanned. "Professor Croix is still sitting out her sentence."

"Yes…" Chariot confirmed. "That is right."

"You can take a rest now. I'll take over from here," Nela, standing to the right of her heavily breathing Japanese roommate on the other side of the courtyard confidently smiled.

"Nelaaa!" Filiz cheerfully exclaimed while playing with the double-headed eagle pendant on her left ear. "What are you doing here? Isabelle and I are on a romantic date with a masked stranger. You weren't invited."

Nela found herself in the cafeteria, but she quickly teleported herself next to her friend again.

"You're in quite a mess to be on a date," The Czech giggled annoyedly while looking at the disheveled hair of her roommate with the black eye. "Maybe you should go to the ladies' room to check your makeup?"

Nela tried to teleport her roommate to the third-floor toilets, but to her disappointment, nothing happened.

"Hahaha! It seems Isabelle and I aren't able to leave the courtyard," Filiz laughed while the armored witch melted away the cocoon the new nine witches had expected to entrap her in and opened her raised right hand with the intention of making her new opponents disappear. "But I don't think you are wanted here, yeah. Don't you have a date of your own with a handsome police investigator, Nela?"

"He has a temper problem. I stood him up. Your date seems loads more fun."

"Ow… Poor Nela is jealous because she didn't get an invitation from the Prince, Isabelle. Only boring guys want to date her," Filiz turned to the witch on her left with a playful sad look.

"I didn't say Bas was boring. But I think your Prince must be disappointed to be on a date with such an inept dancer," Nela smirked. "Like I said: Let me cut in and you'll see us waltz over the ballroom in a way you can only dream of."

"You better stay out of this," The French witch with the yellow-tinted sunglasses warned her blonde friend. "Filiz used some artifact to cast an extremely powerful body-strengthening spell on us and we're lucky to be alive. If you get into that person's way it'll be the end of you."

"It's over, you murdering monster!" Akko exclaimed with raised fist after she and her friends cast a spell that protected them from the teleportation spell of the armored person. "You are dealing with the nine new witches now. Stop your attacks and surrender!"

"Part of the nine new witches in any case," Hannah grumbled while she nervously eyed the armored menace floating in the air above.

"You must feel really good about yourself to be able to use such a cool line in real life," Amanda smirked behind her Japanese friend.

The person who stood on her broom high in the sky moved faster than the eyes of the second-year witches could follow and, to their shock, she used her pointer finger to fire a dark-blue energy ray at the three first-years standing at the other side of the courtyard.

Filiz and Isabelle teleported themselves and their roommate to safety just in time, but they found themselves teleporting around as frantically as before as their assailant fired ray after ray at them while giant dark grey spikes shot out of the ground at them from every direction before disappearing and fireballs pursued them from all sides.

"Everybody!" Chariot exclaimed as she saw the three first-years fighting for their lives. "We are going to perform a fusion magic nullification spell to negate the fireball barrage attack and that spell that conjures up those great spikes!"

All nine of the redhead's students nodded their comprehension and concentrated to perform the ancient spell created by their predecessors who had founded Luna Nova. Then, all together, they spoke the words of the incantation out loud.

"Ein Ein Sof!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!""Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!"

"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"

Still pursued by the fireballs Isabelle used a heat blast spell to break off several of the giant spikes as they shot up at her and used another spell to send them toward the armored assailant who was for a moment concentrating on Filiz and Nela. The spikes disappeared before they reached their target.

"Nothing happened!" Diana exclaimed.

Mary looked from her roommate to the armored menace floating on her broom in the middle of the courtyard.

"Our nullification spell was nullified!" The girl with the red sash through her blue hair realized.

The other girls looked expectantly at their stunned teacher.

"Who is this?" The Frenchwoman muttered in disbelief. "This shouldn't be possible."

"If it didn't seem like I would be torn to pieces by diving in there, I would jump on my broom and take that madwoman out," Amanda said between gritted teeth.

Mary and Diana fired several heat blast spells at the person attacking their friends, but a powerful magical barrier protected her.

Meanwhile, Nela, who was riding along on Filiz's broom attempted to use counterspells to reflect their attackers fireballs and energy rays back at her, but her eyes couldn't adjust to the speed with which they were teleporting around and the few spells that luckily hit their target only succeeded in sending a fireball to be absorbed by the magical barrier.

"I don't understand," Chariot muttered as she gazed up at the stationary armored witch. "It's like she's closing off her mind and refuses…"

"Chariot!" Akko yelled at her bewildered teacher. "You have to do something or that monster will kill our friends before our eyes.

At that moment one of the energy rays the armored witch shot at Filiz and Nela struck through the middle of their broom and sent them tumbling down for a second before Filiz's "Safe Haven" spell teleported them both onto a dismayed Isabelle's broom.

"You can't ride with me!" The girl with the purple bob exclaimed while frantically dodging all her assailant threw at her. "We'll die for sure this way!"

"Not at all, dear Isabelle!" Filiz grinned while holding on to Nela's waist with her left arm, casting green energy spears at their opponent. "It's time for a counter-attack, Yeah. She seems to have gotten more focused or more determined now Luna Nova's finest are here. But she'll have to fight a true two-front battle now and that puts us at an advantage. Listen carefully…"

"Alright, everyone!" Chariot suddenly turned to her pupils with resolve. "I am going to use a very powerful spell to attack the magical barrier she is protecting herself with. I want you all to use the nullification spell again."

Every one of the young witches nodded again and repeated the incantation they used before, meanwhile sensing with amazement how much magical energy their teacher was concentrating in a fiercely red glowing ball held by the hand of her outstretched left arm.

"Ein Ein Sof!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!" "Ein Sof Ohr!"

"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"  
"Luna Lana!"

At the moment the incantation was pronounced the red glowing orb in Chariot's hand morphed into a spear the grimacing Frenchwoman threw at the person in the medieval armor who was attacking her students.

"Everybody get behind me!" Chariot yelled as it became clear that the nullification spell had failed again.

The nine Luna Nova students quickly huddled together behind a magical barrier they conjured up together with their teacher while the red spear exploded the magical barrier around the powerful assassin in a bright red and loud flash.

Guarding their eyes against the blinding red light of the explosion the young women peered out at their target again as soon as their ears had recovered from the sound of the explosion to recognize the still continuing sounds of battle.

"She's still standing there!" Barbara exclaimed.

"She was more concerned with her efforts to murder our friends than she was about her own safety…" Lotte muttered in disbelief.

'I don't think we can keep your concealment up under these circumstances,' Chariot was telepathically intimating to someone. 'The Headmistress and Vice-headmistress still haven't returned from the meeting. If you don't come to help…'

"I know something that might help contain her at least!" Diana exclaimed.

Everyone including Chariot turned to her as their last hope to save their friends.

"It is a secret spell from the house of Cavendish. So powerful and so jealously guarded that my mother left it to me inside a vault that would only open on my fifteenth birthday to a very powerful spell pronounced by me before kissing the lock."

Akko watched her friend intently.

"This is a spell that Beatrix Cavendish developed to seal away an enemy that had driven her and several of the other original nine witches with their back to the wall. I have never tried it, but the ten of us should be able to make it work and if we do it should freeze the murderer into place where she stands."

"Alright!" Chariot nodded. "We cannot allow this person to go on threatening the lives of other witches. We have to try everything we have."

"We are going to use elemental magic to create a frozen quarantine cube. So focus on that element while you imagine the cube forming around our opponent," Diana coached her friends and former idol. "Now say this incantation with me:"

The ten witches stood opposing the person who was still casting powerful blue energy beams at Nela, Isabelle, and Filiz, who dodged the deadly energy rays and fireballs as they teleported from one spot to another on their brooms while preparing to cast a spell of their own.

With determined expressions on their faces, ten of the most powerful witches ever educated in Luna Nova repeated the words pronounced by their friend.

"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"

An ice-blue cube appeared around the armored assassin who turned around to face her captors as the fireballs she had kept conjuring to hunt her prey and the spears she had kept conjuring out of the ground suddenly disappeared.

With hope in her heart, Diana pronounced the final words to the spell that had once defeated the greatest enemy of mankind.

"Geheordung bes faer in braed, eln, and déop!"

The cube glowed a bright blue light as its entire content appeared to freeze solid.

"Now focus your energy," Filiz told her roommates as finally free from immediate danger Isabelle had her broom floating so that the three witches who now got up and deftly balanced their erect forms on the vehicle were all facing their adversary. "This has to go just right."

"Great job, Diana!" Amanda cheered seeing the armored menace who still floated in the middle of the courtyard immobile. "You saved the daaayyyoh no..."

To the instantly deflated spirits of eight witches, the assassin slowly moved her right arm and cast an energy beam at the limits of her confine.

Diana, however, regarded the captive person thoughtfully. And Chariot observed Diana.

"Are you kidding me?!" Akko exclaimed. "What is up with this ridiculous power level?!"

"The spell did work for the most part," Mary commented. "She doesn't seem to be able to get out…"

With a jerk of her head, the armored witch seemed to suddenly become aware of something. The next moment she watched her opponents intently and seemed to come to a decision.

Holding her opened right hand high above her head she conjured up a small bright deep red light that colored the entire area.

"That power!" Chariot recoiled in fear. "Everybody!" She turned to her students. "I want you to evacuate the entire school while I do what I can to save Nela, Filiz, and Isabelle!"

"No!"

Everybody stared incredulously at Akko who opposed her idol with such resolve.

"We are not running away! We are not giving up on our friends and we are not giving up on Luna Nova!"

"Akko…" Chariot stared open-mouthed at the girl she had inspired to dedicate her life to witchcraft.

"But Akko," A distraught Diana appealed to her friend. "You can feel the power she is focussing into this spell as well as I do! If she manages to build that up to a successful attack and breaches our containment spell we won't be able to stop the destruction of the entire Luna Nova dimension and maybe the town of Blytonbury with it!"

"Your spell was the only thing we have that was able to hurt her!" Akko aggressively spoke. "We have to cast it again and again until she is completely immobile!"

"I side with Akko on this!" Amanda exclaimed. " We have to do it now!"

A bright white light suddenly glowed behind the armored menace and all ten witches turned to see it coming from Isabelle, Filiz, and Nela standing with the hands of the right arms of the first two and the hand of the left arm of the latter spread out and joined into a circular shape before Filiz's body.

"Illumin estuan trabe ! Visu! Radiom refringu!"  
"Illumin estuan trabe ! Aspecto! Radiom refringu!"  
"Illumin estuan trabe ! Prospec! Radiom refringu!"

The searing hot energy produced by the joint attack burned through the ice-blue containment cube in a flash and hit the surprised armored assassin full force. The energy she was focussing dissipated in the process.

Freed from captivity the assassin immediately turned on her liberators, but as she moved her right hand forward to cast another offensive spell the armor fell down in a heap onto the floor without warning.

Just as unexpectedly, Miranda Holbrooke, Samantha Badcock, Long San Yuan, and a witch about Chariot's age with short sandy blonde hair and a fringe pinned to her forehead with a silver hair clip in the shape of a trout wearing the uniform of a Luna Nova teacher appeared in the middle of the courtyard.

"She teleported away," Chariot muttered and looked at the trio who seemed to have chased off the horror that had nearly laid waste to her alma mater and the surrounding area.

"So all this damage was caused by the murderer?" Professor Badcock remarked to her Headmistress. "This will take a lot of money to repair."

"But the important thing is that everyone is safe," Miranda Holbrooke reacted as she looked at Filiz and her roommates who had descended on Isabelle's broom. "Who knows but this experience might teach someone not to reject what is offered her if we find a way to fix the cause of the problems with the food distribution.

Unconcerned with their Principal's musings an exhausted Filiz and Nela fell into each other's arms, exclaiming: "That was so awesome!" while their friend stood by looking at the pieces of the medieval armor that were lying in the middle of the courtyard.

Concerned for the safety of their schoolmates in fear that the assassin might have teleported away to target some other students, Diana, Mary, Amanda, Constanze, Jasminka, Barbara, and Lotte walked off to check up on them.

And at the same time all the first-years and Witches Council officers who had been teleported away returned to the courtyard one by one.

Long San walked up to her colleagues and discussed what had happened with her superior while Chariot tried to talk with Akko.

"So the murderer was able to get away. That is a fearful turn of events," Karabo Mahlangu lamented. "We will have to ask the Witches Council to have troopers from the supernatural defense division guard Luna Nova. I am starting to suspect that for some reason this Czech girl is the target here rather than the aggressor and the person who sent us back in time is trying to murder every witch she has had any relation with."

"You were sent back in time?" Long San asked with an intrigued look at Nela.

"Yes. We were all sent to the school's cafeteria at 1:25 last night. The first-year students too. We tried what we could to escape, but there was no way to get out. We were trapped in that space and time. The person we are trying to arrest possesses very powerful magic. But the spell she used to trap us in time grants me at least an idea of where I might find out more about her."

"Akko! Akko!" Chariot called out at her friend who was walking toward the ground floor hallway.

The two girls turned around as their teacher caught up with them and saw the person with the short blonde hair walking towards them in the distance.

"Akko. I know this comes unexpected and I'm sorry. I understand how it must feel for you."

"When I learned the truth about your secret identity as Ursula Calistis and how I temporarily lost the ability to use magic there was one thing that softened the blow: the fact that Shiny Chariot wasn't just my teacher but my tutor," The brunette sulked. "I was so happy to be able to tell you how I felt and when we defeated the magitronic missile I was so hyped to continue my education as your student."

Chariot sadly observed the enchanted smile on the face of the messiah of magic.

"And now you are leaving Luna Nova… I know I shouldn't be so possessive, but I assumed you would always be around and you would spend the three years I am here teaching me all you know."

Akko and Chariot looked one another in the eyes as the blonde Luna Nova teacher stood by next to Hannah.

"But I know your teaching will make the department of order and protection more able and capable than before. And that is something we really need right now. So I wish you success and happiness in your new function."

"What I am going to do is more important than you can imagine, dear Akko," A deeply affected Chariot replied. "But you are most important to me. I thought myself a disgrace and a failure until I saw the light in your eyes burn brighter than any fire. Thank you for all you have done for me, for magic, and for the world. I will leave Luna Nova for now and I will strive to be worthy of that grand love you feel for me."

"Et elle le fera grâce à moi nettoyer derrière elle comme d'habitude," The new teacher deadpanned.

"Aw… Je n'étais pas si mauvais, n'est-ce pas? Je suis désolé d'avoir été un tel fardeau pour toi à l'époque, Chloé," Chariot apologized while turning around to face her friend.

"Il y avait des chaussettes sales et des restes partout. Vous et Croix n'avez pas pensé à autre chose que le Claiomh Solais à l'époque," The French women's beautiful blonde ex-roommate huffed. "I will not tolerate such behavior in my students if I am to teach here. Akko Kagari?"

"Huh?" Akko reacted with an incomprehensive expression on her face as Chariot's friend addressed her.

"You have shown to possess great magical energy within you. But as is natural at your age, you are a mess of emotions. I consider it my task to teach you to focus your power so that you may benefit mankind even more in the future than you already have."

"I'm sorry for not introducing my former roommate earlier," Chariot embarrassedly apologized while rubbing the back of her head. "This is Chloe Thiry, and she was partnered with Croix and me in our first year at Luna Nova. She will be my replacement."

"Roommate?" Nela, who together with Filiz, had joined the group pondered. "That means you'll have lots of stories you can share with Akko and us about Chariot when she's gone."

Chloe looked at a nervously grinning Chariot with an amused smirk before replying: "None that are appropriate for impressionable minds."

"Ah! Quit sulking, Akko. You aren't a child whose mother is going to a party without her," Hannah haughtily scolded with exasperation at the malcontent expression the brunette was still making. "I'm sure Professor Chariot will keep in touch."

"Don't call me a child, Hannah! I'm not sulking! I wished Chariot good luck. I just need some time to get used to the idea."

"It'll be alright, Akko," Filiz winked at her idol after watching Principal Holbrooke walk into the ground floor hallway via an arc that still stood upright. "We'll all work together to make life at Luna Nova fun and learn lots of new things from Professor Thiry. You'll adapt in no time.

I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Professor Thiry. But I'm going to the nurse's office and to bed now. I'm sure I'll sleep like a log after such a wonderful day," The blackette told her new teacher.

"You are so lucky you were with Isabelle when the murderer attacked," Nela sighed as she walked in the footsteps of her roommate. "I'll better go to the nurse with you after what we've been through."

Chloe, Chariot, Akko, and Hannah watched both girls walk off with a grimace on their faces.

"They have strange notions of fun sometimes," Akko sweated by way of explanation.

The trolls quickly came into the courtyard to clean up according to the instructions of Chief Commissioner Karabo before starting to rebuild the school building and so Akko and her friends all went towards the auditorium where Headmistress Holbrooke talked to the entire school about what had happened and organize the day for them.

Notably absent where Filiz, Nela and Isabelle. The latter of whom had slyly taken to herself and hidden the sliver of armor that Filiz had managed to slice off during the battle and which Chief Commissioner Karabo had the trolls search the entire courtyard for.

* * *

Two days later Akko placed her dark-brown tray on the plain wooden table in the cafeteria which she shared with Diana and Mary, greedily looking down at its contents.

In every corner of the spacious canteen with the large square blue tiles stood a witch in the light-blue tunic of the department of order and protection with an eagle's tail feather pierced through the rounded off tip of her hat, indicating that they were troopers from the supernatural defense division.

Joanna was observing the people who were there to protect them from another attack by the murderer closely while she put her plate down on the table next to the one Akko and her roommates sat at.

A day earlier Mary and Blair had agreed on the plan to put the tables of their respective groups close together during lunchtime so as to be able to spend more time together. So now, the diminutive Italian witch was digging deep into her own plate of baked spotted dragon bread with steamed carrots in a white sauce at the table she shared with Rajani and Joanna while sitting close to her old roommate who sat at the other table facing the other direction.

"I'm still scared no matter how many guards they got walking around," The Indian witch cringed as she pricked her shiny fork into a piece of carrot. "That murderer fought most of the most powerful witches at Luna Nova and got away without a scar. If she picks us off one by one in our beds what're they gonna do about it?"

"Hmm," Mary grimaced. "I agree it's scary to think about. But when she targeted Isabelle the murderer didn't wait for her to be alone. I heard rumors that the murderer is looking around for a fight rather than a victim. As if that logic is any excuse to go around murdering people. But if that is true, it means we probably don't have to worry about her killing us when we're vulnerable."

"I think the best thing to do right now is trust in the Witches Council," Diana added. "Don't forget that everyone who is part of the supernatural defense division is trained to deal with the very worst of danger. The murderer may have outfought some of the witches from the division of order and protection, but their expertise lies elsewhere than combat. And even if the murderer proved a match for us we might have defeated her after all if we had done as Akko suggested."

"I only hope someone finds a way to stop her as soon as possible," Mary suddenly said while gazing gloomily into her plate. "I admire Molly's strength and resilience after losing her sister. But I don't know what I would do if I lost you or any of my other close friends, Diana."

The platinum-blonde witch was taken aback for a moment by this pessimist show of affection from her countryman. The only thing she found fitting as a reply was to lay her hand on the other girl's shoulder and smile.

"I feel exactly the same," Diana said.

The blue-haired witch with the red sash was surprised by the heartfelt reply but cheerfully smiled back before continuing her lunch.

"The two of you are way too gloomy. We'll study up on offensive spells together and the next time that monster attacks we will definitely beat her," Akko happily commented while stuffing her mouth. "In the meantime enjoy this delicious food. Finally, we get to eat something besides mushrooms!" The brunette exclaimed while Mary and Diana shared a knowing look.

"I know, right?" Blair agreed with her Japanese friend. "I don't know what spotted dragon bread is but it sure is a nice change from mushroom soup every day."

Again, Mary and Diana shared a look and an amused smile. Content to see their friends so happy they thought better of letting them know what spotted dragon bread was. Or where from the mycelium used to make it was harvested.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	8. Chapter 8

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

 **Seven years ago. Litovel, Czech Republic.**

 **Nela's voice:  
This is the day my life will be utterly changed.**  
 **That is what I think as I stand and wait in our elementary school's courtyard after classes are over.**

 **I have my hair in a long blonde ponytail and am wearing red suspended trousers over a yellow T-shirt. I like comfortable practical clothing.**  
 **I have been waiting for a while by the time my classmate arrives and the school as well as the courtyard are nearly empty.**

 **To my left two wooden benches are lined up against the red brickwork of the building's right wing. To my right high shrubbery separates the courtyard from a quiet village road. In front of me is one of the coolest and nicest boys in school.**

 **Evzen is the hype of Tatran Litovel's youth. I one time managed to sneak in during a match without anybody recognizing me and hid among the parents and brothers and sisters of the other players to watch him. He scored two goals that day. He was awesome!**

 **Evzen is wearing his brown hair in a feather cut with a bleached fringe. He has his hands in the front pockets of his blue jeans and he's wearing the bomber jacket from his club over an orange T-shirt. The low April sun shines behind him. So cool! He looks like a hero from an action movie.**

 **I feel jittery in my stomach. My palms are sweaty. 'What did he ask me to meet him here after school for?' I think. The answer comes sooner than I expected.**

 **"Hey Nela," Evzen starts with an awkward grin. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."**

 **"That's alright," I say with a nervous smile. "Why did you want me to wait for you?"**

 **"Well… I have been thinking… "**

 **I watch him smile and sink into his beautiful blue eyes for a moment.**

 **"I've noticed how you stare at me sometimes…"**

 **Oh no! My face turns pale. I want to die. Is he going to tell me he thinks I am annoying?**

 **"I think you're kinda cute, and I thought... "**

 **My face turns bright red at those words. I am an open book to him. And he is just standing there. Smiling at me.**

 **I turn my eyes to the ground. I can't stand being exposed like that. Why is he saying those things? What is he going to…?**

 **"I always thought it was really cool how you always help the teacher. And you're always top of the class. It's so cool how smart you are. So… I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend?"**

 **I slowly turn my gaze up and see the most awesome boy in school awkwardly fold his arms in front of his chest and then pose akimbo again.**

 **This isn't like in my fantasies. But it's still happening! Can it really be true?**

 **"R… Really?" I quietly ask. My shy eyes darting toward his.**

 **"Yes," Evzen easily nods. "I really like you, you know."**

 **"I… I like you too," I foolishly blush. "You're so cool, Evzen! And you are so nice to everyone. I watched you play one time…"**

 **"Hahahahaha!" Evzen bursts out. My heart seems to stop as Radovan, Jiri, Bohdana, Silvie, and Zaneta come from behind the corner, laughing their asses off.**

 **I feel cold and frightened.**

 **Evzen is still laughing boisterously while the others dance around us. The short blonde Jiri who is wearing blue jeans and a grey short sleeve shirt holds a smartphone in his left hand and points at the screen.**

 **"That was so funny!" He laughs. "I'm going to watch it again and again."**

 **"I'm sorry, guys!" Evzen keeps laughing and holds his belly as he doubles over. "I couldn't keep it in any longer."**

 **"You are so stupid, gloomy Nela," Silvie coldly smiles as she lays her hands on my shoulders while I stand there, stunned and heartbroken.**

 **"Did you not know I have been Evzen's girlfriend since last week?!" The redhead sharply exclaims as she suddenly pushes me over. I lethargically hold out my arms to break the fall and roll onto my back.**

 **"Or did you really believe he would think you are cuter than me? Just look at your ridiculous farmer clothes!" Silvie laughs as she stands over me wearing blue faded jeans and a green open vest over a low-cut white T-shirt.**

 **"I think it's so cool how you always help out the teacher," Bohdana, a long-haired brunette in a long green dress, laughs as she bows over me and I slowly get into a sitting position, hanging my head so I don't have to see their ugly laughing faces.**

 **"You are such a weirdo," Radovan bites. "Everyone saw how you hid among the crowd while ogling Evzen during that match against Sokol Bohunovice. You creepy stalker," The boy with the blonde spikes in the black shorts and beige T-shirt looks down at me with disgusted eyes.**

 **"I wouldn't want a freak like you if you were the last girl in the world," Jiri whispers in my right ear.**

 **"I want you to stop looking at Evzen and stop fantasizing about him, you freak," Silvie grins as Jiri hands her his smartphone. "Or else everyone in school is going to get to see this film."**

 **"That was so funny!" Evzen chuckles. "Great idea, Jiri."**

 **Hearing the two boys high-five shatters my heart beyond repair. Even Evzen, who is otherwise so kind to everyone, treats me like this.**

 **"Hey, freak!" Silvie yells and kicks my left shoe. "Did you hear me? Are you going to stop staring at my boyfriend?"**

 **I quietly nod in response, wishing them all gone.**

 **"I didn't hear you?" Silvie sings with a cruel grin on her face. "What did you say, freaky gloomy Nela?"**

 **"I'll stop staring…" I manage to answer in a shuddering voice.**

 **"That's better. You know, you really shouldn't look at anyone at all, gloomy Nela. People would get frightened if they found a freak like you looking at them all of a sudden," Silvie says.**

 **"Oh no! It's a monster!" Radovan exclaims in a mock-frightened voice.**

 **"Come on, guys! Me and Radovan gotta get to training now," Evzen calls in a bored voice.**

 **"You nervous for tomorrow?" Silvie teases her boyfriend as she and their friends walk away toward the front gate.**

 **"No. Those guys are a piece of cake."**

 **After they leave I just continue to sit on the ground, wondering how in five minutes my entire life could have been turned to hell while my classmates were easily laughing. None of them have a care in the world for the single tear in my left eye which is as lonely and cold as I feel.**

 **Only after I am shooed away by the history teacher and my mother asks how my day was when I get home does that tear get company.**

* * *

 **"They've been at it since she started elementary school! Those fucking kids! I want to beat them all up!"**

 **"Well, what do you want me to do about it, Lidka? Do you want me to beat up my boss and tell him to make his son date my daughter?"**

 **"You could try asking him to make the bullying stop at least! Your father is right! You are such a coward when it comes to these things!"**

 **"Please, calm down both of you. This is just a phase. When she gets to middle school she'll make friends easily."**

 **While father and mother are impotently upset as usual and grandmother tries to appease them while cooking dinner in the kitchen grandfather slowly walks along the laminated hallway to the bedroom where I had run off to before my grandparents arrived.**

 **After ascending three steps he turns right into a hallway with two doors on the left and two on the right. He knocks at the first door on his left.**

 **"Co… me… In!" Comes my bawled reply.**

 **As he steps into my room the first thing his eyes fall on is his unhappy granddaughter.**  
 **I am still weeping heartbreakingly in my bed on top of cream sheets with yellow lines and a pillow of the same design.**  
 **My head rests on my left arm and my loose hair is draped half over my face as I hold onto a large plush owl and watch a DVD of The girl on the broomstick on my flat-screen television which us standing on a simple round light-green aluminum table against the opposite wall.**

 **Opposite the door is my tidy desk with my study books neatly in a rack hung up above.**  
 **To the right of the television set is a table with flowers and next to the bed is a cupboard with my clothes. In between them, a window looks out over our garden.**

 **"Now, now, "Grandpa says as I pull up my legs for him to sit beside me on the bed. He looks very handsome in his grey linen trousers and a beige plaid shirt with red lines.**

 **"I… Nobody likes me…" I weep. "They keep bullying me… Why can't I make any friends…!"**

 **My darling grandfather pulls me up, owl and all, and hugs me gently. Holding on to my hero, sob after sob, I eventually calm down.**

 **"I'm so glad you love this movie as much as I do," The strong greying man who holds me in his arms chuckles as he watches the red-haired heroine of my favorite movie transform a bunch of teachers into white rabbits on my television. "Your father and grandmother both think it's dumb."**

 **"I wish I could be like Saxana. She doesn't care what anybody thinks of her. And she makes lots of friends by the end of the movie," I sulk.**

 **"Yeah, we all like to be like our heroes. But you know, witches don't exist anymore. The strong thing to do is to face reality and love yourself exactly as you are.**

 **When I was a child I wanted to be like the Hulk," Grandfather says, bulking up his large biceps." But you know, if the Hulk existed in real life he would just be Dr. Bruce Banners. A geek who can't get a girlfriend.**  
 **I'd rather be myself: I worked hard and became a price fighter who could kick the Hulk's ass with my hands tied behind my back," He laughs. "And I married my very sexy girlfriend and had two great boys and a beautiful granddaughter.**

 **I've been telling you, again and again, dear Nela, and I'm not going to take no for an answer this time. I want you to let me train you into a boxer."**

 **"But won't that stunt my growth?"**

 **"What growth? Are you a businessman?" My grandfather laughed.**

 **"While you are in my care you will grow strong in mind and body. When you are strong you don't need friends. A boxer stands alone against his opponent. A boxer has no use for friends.**  
 **The only thing she needs is a great rival," Is what my grandfather says to me on the day he utterly changes my life.**

 **"But I suck at sports," I weakly whine as I look up at my loving grandparent.**

 **"That's enough of that loser talk!" He exclaims in mock-anger and quickly moves to strike me before I block his heavy hand with my arms.**

 **"See?" He chuckles. "I don't know anyone with your kind of reflexes. I could make you the world champion one day. I'm sure of it. The only reason you suck at sports is because nobody ever took an interest to make you exercise.**  
 **And those teachers at school are a bunch of lazy bums."**

 **The next day my grandfather takes me to his club in Prague and starts training me into a fighter.**  
 **Over the next years, he instills in me all the values I continue to live by. And I learn not to care about anyone or anything but becoming stronger and finding opponents worthy of my strength.**

* * *

Yasin Ibn Hubal was used to some things that would turn most people into shuddering, hysterically weeping messes.

Most people would include the pilots from the US army airborne division who blew up part of the wing of the Baghdad maternity hospital while he was visiting to see the firstborn daughter of his older brother in 2003 and where he ended up trying his very best to steady his nerves so that he could deliver a crying baby-boy next to the dead bodies of a real obstetrician and a nurse in the wreckage with the sounds of other explosions nearby.

Most people would include the Al-Qaeda insurgents who had abducted him and three colleagues, beat them, burned them with cigarette buds all over their bodies, drilled into their feet and legs, and nearly shot him for treating Shia patients six years later.

Most people would include the clan chief who ordered two men to stab him when leaving the hospital he continued to work at because he failed to save the life of an 80-year old clan member who died from cholera.

That is why Yasin wasn't fazed by working inside an impossibly enormous magically constructed isolation ward in coordination with witches who arrived at the hospital in pale lime-green tunics and pointy hats to fight an epidemic that defied all logic.

At least the witches and the WHO had ensured all of his patients now had beds, medicine, and basic sanitation.

But he really shouldn't have stayed so late at that wedding party the night before. He never had such a bad headache in his life.

"You look like you had a good time," The good-looking 45-year old Italian witch whose shiny black hair peeked out from under the teal hijab she was wearing and whom he got along with so well teased him as he exhaled heavily while turning the corner of the long hallway towards the isolation ward.

Western women were so careless. It was somehow a little cute. Luckily she was more aware of herself when she was working.

"It was a wonderful wedding party," Yasin smiled with his wrinkled brown eyes. "A very happy bride and bridegroom. They were both nearly thirty and both finally found jobs last month after being unemployed for a long time. So my son decided he should propose right away. And I couldn't agree more. I pray the future will provide a better economic situation for their children."

"So that's why you were scheduled to work the night shift," Leonora Aleramici flirted. "I was hoping you enjoyed working with me."

"I do, of course," The smooth-shaved infectious diseases specialist in the green coat walking to her right chuckled. "But a few hours extra sleep was welcome and no luxury, as you can see."

"My congratulations to the happy couple and their parents," Leonora smiled. "You and your wife must be very happy. I'm looking forward to the day my daughter Blair will graduate and come home to marry Stefano. She'll look so stunning in a wedding gown."

Yasin watched the woman's eyes sparkle. She had very pretty dark-green eyes.

"I'm sorry to say my wife will have died nine years ago in February next year. But she would have rejoiced in her child's happiness no less than I trust you will. And we are both grateful for your wishes."

"Oh!" Leonora whined as her face fell in pity for the kind, handsome, and gentle man she had been admiring so these past two weeks. "Such a tragedy. Poor woman. Poor you."

"Thank you for your compassion," Yasin smiled. "She was murdered in a suicide bombing in a crowded marketplace," He said, not without some harshness in his voice. "I trust Allah that she died instantly and without pain."

Leonora watched her new forward-looking friend intently as they approached the isolation clean room.

"Could I see some pictures of her?… When our shifts end?… If that is okay with you?"

Yasin stopped before the door of the cleanroom with a surprised look on his face while the Italian witch slipped her hand in the side pocket of her green gown.

"Yes… Yes, of course," He said. "I have pictures on my smartphone," He smiled. "I can show you in the cafeteria later..."

"Oh! My badge!"

Leonora startled the kind physician with her outburst.

"I must have forgotten it in my regular clothes," She smiled ashamedly. "How silly of me."

"I'll wait for you," Yasin smiled indulgently at his cute new friend.

"Shed your fear," Leonora smiled. "The passage is perfectly safe and as reliable as the magic isolation ward. Go ahead on your own."

"You say that so easily," Yasin smiled. "When we live in a world which was invaded by clothing that turned everyone into zombies four years ago."

"As I said before: We had nothing to do with that," Leonora laughed and held up her hands in a defensive gesture.

"I know," Yasin said. "I saw the Witches Council representative on the news and I watched the documentary. It was really scary. Learning that none of you witches even knew about it didn't help make it less scary."

"Well, they have arrested one of the people involved. And the company responsible is under investigation by the Japanese authorities."

Leonora looked at her friend and a sly smile appeared on her face. "The passage is safe and I will be there in a few minutes to protect you if your HazMat suit attacks you. I'll be right back."

Yasin watched the witch turn around and run back into the hallway from which they came. Then she stopped and with visible self-reproach that made him chuckle Leonora forced herself to walk more composedly.

The Iraqi medic paused for a moment to wonder whether his friend had just raised a flag or made a Terminator reference before he entered the cleanroom.

He dressed slowly into his blue biohazard suit and donned his gloves, hair cover, his mask, and other PPE before standing in front of the wall that was enchanted to lead to the isolation ward that shouldn't exist.

Yasin had felt a little suspicious at the idea of witchcraft and magic originally.  
When the WHO informed the staff of Ibn Al-Khatib Infectious Diseases Hospital of their intent to call in help from the Witches Council's so-called Department of welfare his reason and faith protested at the notion of allowing these women in pointy hats to walk in with who-knew what nonsense and endanger his patients.

But when he reflected deeper he realized that the ludicrous nature of the disease that was infecting more and more people every day left him no choice but to accept that left on their own, he and his colleagues were completely clueless about how to save the victims of this disease.

When the WHO doctors introduced him and his colleagues to the witches that came to help them he was impressed with their respectful behavior and their knowledge.

He learned that most of them had actually been employed in the medical profession for many years. Leonora was a head nurse in Milan's Sacco hospital and had worked for the WHO fighting Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her friend, Daryl Cavendish, was an infectious diseases specialist in a private clinic in Manchester.

This put him very much at ease, and later on as he learned about the application of magic to medicine he became intrigued with the possibilities.

Reminiscing about all this helped him ready himself to take that step into the unknown every time he stood in front of the wall.

Then, Yasin took a long breath and walked through the shimmering wall that made his stomach feel as if he was riding a funfair attraction into the enormous isolation ward where his patients were fighting for their lives.

Patients who were all in a later stage of the disease. Rows of them were lying on IVs and in some cases breathing machines in their hospital beds, separated by semi-transparent walls which allowed for communication they weren't capable of anymore.

The swellings, or rather tumors, in their throats, had invaded down to their stomach. Even if they had still been capable of digesting solid food the pain they were in had become unbearable. Thus it was decided to use a dream spell to put them under continued narcosis.

Yasin sometimes heard some of the patients giggle as he did his check-up rounds with Leonora or one of the other nurses. He was relieved they were having such nice dreams instead of having to be constrained because of the seizures they would go into from the pure horror of the pain they experienced back before the witches had come.

Yasin had never seen anything like it.

But what was strange was that nobody had found any genetic mutation in the cells that formed the tumors. They shouldn't be there. Biologically there was no cause to be found for the tumors. There was also no trace of the pathogenic agent in the upper gastrointestinal tract. And once they reached the cardia the tumors stopped forming and didn't alter in size.

Before the tumors reached the cardia they would suddenly disappear altogether several times before returning. Every time this happened the patients markedly experienced more intense pain from the tumors.

The virus was active mostly in the lungs and the lower gastrointestinal tract.

In the lungs, apart from a generally mild but persistent inflammation, it somehow produced a gas that was able to suppress the adaptive immune system and was responsible for heightening the experience of the pain caused by the tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract and the inflammation and ulcers the virus created in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

A gas that, according to tests, shouldn't even be able to bind to hemoglobin.

The infection, which for the time being had been called Carcogenic Gastro Pulmonary Disease (CGPD), was also accompanied in the later stages by intense hypodermic pain all over the body. This pain seemed also to be caused by the regular release of the toxic gas in the lungs.

If Yasin wouldn't know any better he would say that the virus was specifically designed to cause as much pain as possible before the patient lost consciousness or died.

The method of transmission remained a mystery.

The virus wasn't airborne, yet it was found to infect patients in the same ward back when it first surfaced in emergency rooms.

The infection somehow even spread from conventional isolation wards to other wards in countries like Qatar and Yemen (who didn't have a medical infrastructure that was shot to medieval times and was governed by corrupt officials).

That's why on top of the PPE's witches had cast protection spells on all hospital staff and the patients in the other wards which they refreshed every three days.  
Daryl Cavendish had told Yasin and his colleagues that the spell pervades every cell in the entire body and makes them unrecognizable as cells to the virus.

Other witches staffed a free "magical protection" service in the day hospital where they cast the same spell on the public. But there weren't many of them to work through the entire population, most of whom were distrustful of witches.

Yasin joined a young Angolan WHO nurse dressed in the same blue HazMat suit as him who was administering patients an immunostimulant and a drug that reduced the number of gas molecules absorbed into the lungs while he read the vital stats.

"You're ending your shift after this?" He asked.

"Yeah," The young woman answered without looking up as she adjusted the IV on a 60-year old woman lying in a bed with white sheets inside one of the many transparent cubicles. "I've been here since 8 this morning."

"Did her tumors go into remission at the start of your shift?"

"Hihihihi!" The woman in question unexpectedly chuckled.

Yasin and the nurse looked up at one another slowly and giggled in reaction.

Then the eyes of the nurse dilated in an expression of extreme shock. Yasin slowly turned around in his awkward and hot biohazard suit to see what the young woman had spotted behind him to get so upset about.

For some reason, in a flash, he saw the dead body of his wife, Widad, lying against the red Toyota Hilux where he had found her after he heard of the suicide bombing and ran to the market.

His eyes landed on a man who stood at the magical entrance to the isolation ward at about ten meters from himself.

A tall black young man.

A man in a green tunic and a filthy brown cloak.

A man with long loose dark-green micro dreads.

It took Yasin a minute to regain his composure. The colorful grinning young man looked so surreally out of place amidst the white and the blue and green of the isolation ward.

Yasin had no idea how the man had been able to wander into the magically constructed ward without realizing where he was going or without being stopped. His first thought was that the man must be suffering from mental problems. The poor soul might now also fall victim to one of the most painful diseases known to man.

Yasin took one step forward and raised a hand in greeting.

"As-Salam-u-Alaikum warahmatullahi wa-barakatuh," He started.

"Everybody stay back, please!"

One of the witches appeared out of nowhere and cast a spell that produced a blue glowing aura to appear around the man.

"Hahahaha! Do you really expect to keep Eri at bay with such low-level spells!" The man laughed and spat through the aura at the witch, who teleported about two meters farther from him.

At the same time, four other witches in blue HazMat suits appeared around the man. Yasin and the other staff looked on in wonder.

"What is he?" An Israeli witch to the left of Yasin's vision asked out loud.

"I don't know?" Another one answered. "A golem? I don't know. I never felt so much magical energy."

"I am your doom, arrogant witches!" Eri shouted and then laughed while scratching his thin beard.

Two of the witches cast a spell that seemed to create a transparent wall between them and the rest of the ward.

"Everybody, please run to the back of the isolation ward. We can't guarantee your safety if you stay here," The witch who had acted first turned around in her biohazard suit and appealed to Yasin and the others.

Some of the nurses and doctors who had gathered to see what was going on started to turn back and walk away towards the back of the spacious white ward with rows upon rows of hospital beds sheltered in transparent cubicles.

"Can we create another ward and evacuate everyone?" One of the witches asked.

"That'll take time!" An American witch exclaimed.

"Time you don't have," Eri grinned.

"For these past sixty years, you have aided humanity in growing stronger against us while we lived in captivity... " Yasin saw the man scowl threateningly at the witches who together cast a spell which created an explosion Eri didn't even seem to notice.

Eri slowly took three steps closer toward the witches. Yasin followed their example and also walked backward without taking his eyes from the strange tall man in filthy clothes.

"But in the meantime, your own magic grew weaker and weaker…"

Eri took three more steps deeper into the ward.

"We saw everything you did and couldn't do a thing to stop you.

Even when you finally did the unexpected and managed to revive Yggdrasil we were powerless to stop you.  
But then... You went… too far," The man grinned like a predator at the witch closest to him.

Three of the other witches cast blazing columns of fire at Eri, which he dissolved by holding up his left hand as if he was a waiter at a restaurant carrying a plate high above his head.

"We don't know what you did to finally succeed in threatening our existence... It doesn't matter," Eri smirked.

"Where are Leonora and Daryl?!" One witch yelled while all five of them fired more of the blazing columns at their unaffected opponent. "We need them here!"

"More witches?" Eri frowned. "Doesn't matter. I will get them later after I teach you that I will **ALWAYS** be the bane of humanity!" The tall black young man yelled as he lifted both of his arms high.

"It's you!" Yasin yelled accusingly. The ridiculous truth hitting him at once. "You are the disease!"

Yasin saw two of the witches look in his direction and heard their exclamations of horror as Eri's vicious lecherously grinning eyes found him.

"I am every disease," The horror slowly articulated in a guttural voice.

The mosquitos and flies exited the tumors in masses and flocked around the witches, around Yasin, around the Angolan nurse that still stood beside him.  
They flew from out of every transparent cubicle and filled the entire volume of the isolation ward, chasing after the doctors and nurses who had fled to the back of the magically constructed space.

Yasin nor the nurse could see them, but they could see the panicking witches cast more offensive spells in every direction. They could see Eri laugh maniacally. They could feel the stings all over their bodies.

"Aaaah!" The nurse yelled. "What is this?!"

Yasin felt the content of his stomach empty down his trousers as a slimy warm substance and sank through his knees from the excruciating pain in his intestines.

"Aaaaah!" He yelled as his skin felt as if it was on fire and rolled on the floor. Then he cringed from the horrible rasping pain in his throat that made him weep in pain.

From the direction of the witches, he heard similar screams and soft bitter wailing. From the distance behind them came the same sounds.

And all the time, Eri laughed like a madman and yelled out loud at his victims to feed him with their agony.

Yasin felt as if he was being eaten from the inside. He knew he was going to die. He prayed to Allah that he would be permitted to see his wife again in Paradise.

* * *

"It's true," Leonora smiled while she and the nurse who had come with them helped Daryl Cavendish dress in her blue biohazard suit in the cleanroom. "Blair heard Chloe and Mary confirm the rumors and they were seen kissing."

"But Paul Hanbridge hates witches! He would never allow his son to get engaged to a witch!" The platinum-blonde middle-aged woman exclaimed in an outburst of confusion, sitting on a wooden bench while the Iraqi nurse who had come along with her and Leonora was already dressed in her HazMat suit sat beside Dary and listened absently to the conversation she only half understood.

"He has come around a lot since Akko and Diana revived Yggdrasil," Leonora smiled while she connected Daryl's helmet to her suit. "And she isn't just any witch of course. I don't think even Paul Hanbridge would object against such a union."

"That ridiculous, ridiculous man!" Daryl cursed. "Had I known this, I would have pushed Diana in Andrew's face on every occasion."

#Leonora! Daryl! You have to come to the isolation ward now! We need help!#

The two witches shared a frown.

"That's the second time they sent that telepathic message," Leonora said. "Must be urgent."

"I wonder what's going on," Daryl frowned as she stared at the wall that contained the spell to take them to the magically constructed isolation ward.

"I don't want to cause grief for anybody," Leonora smiled with a mischievous look. "But from one friend to another I will remind you that at this stage of their relationship anything might still happen. If you want Andrew for your niece you could still try to change where his affections lie. Though as far as I know from both Blair and yourself neither of them ever showed much romantic interest in one another."

"We'll see," Daryl proudly stated in order to finish the subject while getting up. "Let's concern ourselves with what is going on in the isolation ward for now."

Leonora grinned and followed her friend to the wall, which became blurry as Daryl touched it with her hand.

The trio saw a two-second glimpse from hell and the Devil turning his monstrous smirk toward them before Daryl teleported all three of them to the desert miles from there.

"What was that?!" Leonora exclaimed while catching her breath. "Yasin! He wasn't moving! All those violent bugs!"

"I don't know what was happening," Daryl said in a hurried voice while she helped the confused Iraqi nurse disconnect the helmet from her HazMat suit. "But I know the magical power that… that monster possessed was enormous. And I know that if we had stayed there for a fragment of a second longer we would have been as dead as everyone in the isolation ward."

"What was that man?" Leonora repeated and looked at her friend with frightened eyes. "How can he possess so much magical power?"

"I think…" Daryl stared pensively and worriedly into the distance. "No. I am almost certain that whatever he is, he is the one responsible for this epidemic. And I know that without the help of the supernatural defense division we have no hope of stopping the epidemic. We have to go to Dinas Affaraon to warn the Witches Council."

* * *

Diana stood dressed in her light-blue nightgown watching a grass-green sun crack like an egg and spray the sky in a billion different colors.  
Far in the distance at a pond that looked like a rasp, down the wide maize-yellow valley she looked out over from the steep hill she was standing on, a group of black-and-red Ibis-like creatures with large bat-wings lifted their long necks and somehow bellowed out a distorted chirping.

"Hello there," She heard a loud but kind voice call out from behind her. "You've been visiting often lately. Not that I mind."

The ibises spread their wings and morphed into black-and-pink sunflowers that reached high up into the sky while from the opposite mountains a large humanoid male face on the end of a serpentine-shape hovered toward Diana without ever reaching the hill she stood on despite continually coming closer.

Somehow rather than intimidated as she had been the last time, Diana felt relieved at hearing Meifa's voice. As if she was unexpectedly meeting an old friend after a long separation

Regardless, she turned around suspicious about the reason for her "visit".

Meifa was even larger than she had been the last time Diana had seen her. The majestic woman with the long black hair rose up ten meters high at about four meters distance from the Brit in a lake of white and purple goo.

Everything else about her, however, was the same as before. Meifa was still dressed in her long black-and-blue robe with the pattern of purple diamonds.

"You are the only thing here that doesn't change," Diana observed.

Meifa looked thoughtful. Then she formed her left hand into a fist and while turning her eyes upon it used her right hand to draw a long staff from the fist. She pricked the bottom end of the staff into the lake around her and from the goo grew hundreds of white-and-purple pine trees of about three to four meters high.

"You are mistaken, my kind friend," She smiled. "Though it is not obvious to you, I am constantly changing. Just as everything that is a part of life. My essence, however, does remain the same."

Diana watched the grey crystals forming in the sky far away to the left of her giant friend.

"What happened that made me come here?" She asked.

"A lot of people died in a very painful way," Meifa said with a casual look. "Eri has begun his harvest."

Diana's pupils dilated as her body stiffened in shock.

"Eri?!" The platinum-blonde witch in the red-and-blue striped toga exclaimed. "But I thought the Chaos Gods were all here?"

Unperturbed by the girl's reaction Meifa looked down at her visitor with a commanding countenance.

"When I decided to take the Chaos Gods prisoner here in Walhalla they were coming very near to causing the destruction of all of humanity. Many of earth's people had lost their belief in magic a long time ago and the magical community had regressed in too weak a state to protect the world against its greatest enemy.

The situation is different now. Since the rebirth of Yggdrasil, humanity's faith in the benevolent power of magic is rising and the individual power of several witches is steadily increasing.

Other recent developments are contributing even more to the fact that at this time it's the Chaos Gods whose existence is being threatened. Which is why I decided to allow them their freedom so that they can fight for their survival during the time preceding the war in heaven."

Diana stared and listened in horror at Meifa's revelations. The woman's cold words sounding so humane and cruel at the same time that their meaning became half lost to the witch.

"I… I understand your reasons," She said respectfully. "But is there no way to retain the status quo?"

"If there is a way it is for humanity to discover," Meifa imperiously declared. "The Chaos Gods are the magical manifestation of the evil people have done to one another and their lack of empathy for one another's suffering and frustration.  
They are the accumulation of the suffering victims have undergone from those who victimized them.

I protected mankind when they were fighting an unequal battle against that inheritance. But now that humanity is reaching new levels of empowerment it is the duty of witches to protect them by teaching them that unbridled growth without self-reflection will end in unbridled destruction."

"I understand," Diana bowed her head in acquiescence. "But is there no way in which you may help us?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" A gentle male voice behind Diana called.

The British witch in the blue burqa turned around and saw the ever-approaching white humanoid face smile at her.

"It was my honor to be your affectionate ancestor Beatrix Cavendish's friend and familiar.  
My name is Banagher. I am well acquainted with the Chaos Gods from the time the nine old witches were forced to fight them."

To Diana's surprise, the serpentine face exploded into a shower of orange ash and a handsome bone-white unicorn jumped from out of it and onto the terras next to her.

"If you seek to protect humanity from the threat of the Chaos Gods I will be your loyal adviser," The creature spoke in a dignified but gentle voice while bowing its horned head.

"Your help is certainly appreciated since we need all the help we can get," Diana said with hope and appreciation in her heart. "But is it permitted for you to leave Walhalla?" The witch asked Meifa while caressing Banagher's head.

"It is permitted," Meifa stated as she surveyed the duo. "But I will need you to be aware that as your familiar Banagher is your responsibility, dear Diana. And at the time that you become negligent of that responsibility, you will be held accountable."

"Thank you for warning me, kind Meifa," Diana bowed respectfully. "I am aware that you have many responsibilities and that you must have intervened on humanity's behalf more times than we know. I will see to it that no harm comes to Banagher while he aids me in finding out how we can protect the people of earth."

* * *

 **Four years ago. Prague, Czech Republic.**

 **Nela's voice:**  
 **Bam! My opponent's jab hits the red padded helmet my head is wrapped in. The impact swings my body to the right.**

 **I'm so tired. But this is to my advantage. I can use the momentum to try and hit her with a left hook.**

 **I aim and swing my arm, but I am too tired and there isn't enough power in the swing.**

 **Too late I see that the girl who insisted on wearing a blue wrestling mask underneath her blue padded helmet is swinging a right cross towards me.**  
 **In my attempt to bob, my legs give way beneath me and I land on my knees onto the shiny wooden floor of the ring in my grandfather's boxing gym.**

 **If that cross had hit me I would have been finished. But it seems my opponent is more tired than I thought because she also loses her balance and lands on one knee. I look into her brown eyes. She seems to be smiling. Then she kneels in front of me.**

 **"Do… you call this… a friendly bout?" I sigh while after a count the referee decides the match ends in a draw seeing neither of us is fit to continue and we scored equal points.**

 **"It's… your fault for being so good," She chuckles. "I wish we could… fight again."**

 **She has a French accent.**

 **"Why can't…. we?"**

 **"My family is moving far away. To the other side… of the world… in fact."**

 **"Are you alright, Nela?" My grandfather says as he approaches me from behind and carefully removes my red padded helmet, which allows the droplets of sweat that had formed underneath to fall on my black shorts.**

 **"Y… yeah. A little tired. Haha… huh…"**

 **My opponent in the grey shorts and T-shirt chuckles.**

 **"That was an amazing fight!" Grandfather gushes. "Both of you, well done. I've never seen you fight like that, Nela."**

 **"You're… really fast," My opponent says while her attendants remove her padded helmet and she rubs the dark-blue bag over her head.**

 **"Am I? It didn't stop you... from landing all those powerful crosses... on me."**

 **"You blocked my uppercut though."**

 **"Barely."**

 **"Don't be modest..." The masked girl scolds. "It doesn't suit you."**

 **I notice now that there is a drawing of a purple T-rex on the forehead of the blue mask.**

 **"People don't generally complain… that I'm modest," I honestly state. "My parents say I've gotten airs... I never fought someone… so good that they might beat me… since I became champion."**

 **"I heard. That's why I wanted to fight you."**

 **I look behind her at the grey painted red brick wall and the room-high and two-meter wide windows through which passersby look in at us and the older boxers training on the gym equipment.**

 **"I wish we could fight again," I sigh.**

 **"Maybe someday, yeah," My opponent chuckles.**

 **"H… hey, why don't you… show your face?"**

 **She stares at me for a moment.**

 **"Because I don't want my family... to find out that I do these things," She says. "This way… nobody can recognize me."**

 **My opponent slowly gets to her feet, aided by her attendants and together they walk to her corner.**

 **"If there is a higher power perhaps they will allow us to meet again, Nela Novotna.**  
 **But I don't tend to rely on higher powers. I aim to defeat them," She says while looking over her right shoulder with the blue bag over her head.**

 **"So don't worry, because I will certainly find a way for us to fight again if the desire to do so doesn't leave me."**

* * *

 **"A strange girl," Grandfather says later that evening in my grandparents' apartment with the beige painted walls.**

 **I am lying in the Bordeaux sofa with the brown cover where I had slept through the afternoon and early evening. There is a movie on the LED television mounted on the wall. A room-wide window with dark-brown curtains to my right opens to a narrow terrace. grandfather and grandmother sit on the sofa opposite the window looking at me**

 **"But what a pity that she's not a Czech. I would love to have both of you in my club. You would push one another to feats beyond your wildest dreams. And don't you imagine that she won't push herself to become better than you on the off-chance that you ever do meet again. Now she found someone who is a match for her she will not spare herself. And neither should you.**

 **That's what being rivals is all about," My grandfather says as he sits easily in his black trousers and his grey vest over a white shirt.**  
 **"Friends can cheer you on, but they can't help you reach your goals. Only a rival can give you the motivation and determination to grow beyond your limits.**

 **But even if you never see her again, don't worry… You are still young and you will meet other girls that will be a challenge to you as you get older."**

 **"Let her rest now, dear," My grandmother, wearing a long yellow dress with a pattern of daisies, says as she nudges her tall and brawny husband. "Grandfather has a surprise for you to celebrate how well you fought, Nela."**

 **"That's right. Hahaha. After I brought you here to sleep on the sofa in your blue jeans and that funny shirt with the coconuts I went out and bought tickets for The Little Witch On A Broomstick. We can go and watch it tomorrow."**

 **"Really?!" I exclaim as I sit up. "That's the perfect ending to a perfect day!"**

 **"Hahaha!" My kind grandparents laugh.**

 **"I expected you to say something like that after you called me on the phone last week saying: Grandpa! Grandpa! They made a new movie! Guess what? It's about the daughter of Saxana!"**

 **We laugh heartily about my youthful enthusiasm for a fictional character that stays important to me throughout my youth. Not because of the stories centered around her and her daughter but because of what she represents to me: Something unnamed that I keep longing for.**

 **But although I go to bed that night with sensations of satisfaction and anticipation, at the same time I feel like I lost something.**

* * *

Chloé and Gaelle were sitting opposite Molly Morgan at one of the rectangular wooden tables in the spacious Luna Nova library. Rows of books were shelved all around the two rows of four-seating tables lined up along the length of the large hall, modestly decorated pillars standing in between the large open cabinets at regular intervals.

With exams around the corner, everyone was hitting the books. But now the moon was shining through the large compartmented skylight and the clock in the New Moon Tower sounded half-past eight the three girls were the last ones making use of the large hall, apart from the supernatural defense division guard in the light-blue tunic who patrolled the balcony on the second floor.

"That's it!" Chloé sighed and closed the large green book she had been cramming. "I can't read another musical note!"

Molly giggled at her friend's exasperated expression.

"Studying bird language can be tiresome," Gaelle smiled. "But it is very rewarding when you put it into practice. I want to train a magpie as my familiar next year."

"You really are unbeatable when it comes to magical linguistics, Gaelle!" Molly gushed.

"I bet you'll bond with your familiar in no time."

"That's why I asked her to tutor me in bird language of course," Chloé stated, sitting straight as an arrow with her arms crossed and a confident smirk on her face.

"I am so going to beat Diana this time," The blonde with the big hairdo boldly announced to her friends. "I came close with the first term exams, beating her in four of the ten subjects we both take. But with Gaelle's tutoring, I am sure I will beat her in magic linguistics and bird language now too."

"That's true," Molly smiled brightly while leaning her head on her arms with her own bird language grammar book lying near her right elbow. "You scored top marks for history of magic, magic numerology, magic astrology, and magic philosophy. That's really amazing. I bet you can actually do it! After all: Diana has never aced Gaelle on magic linguistics or bird language."

"Very true," Chloé nodded and leaned back in her wooden chair to bask in the admiration of the girl with the long black hair who was gazing up at her. "Those two lackeys of hers always pretend that Diana is Miss perfect. But there are plenty of subjects she is only second or third in."

"Hannah and Barbara aren't that bad anymore though," Gaelle kindly protested.

The girl with the dark brown hair took off her glasses and wiped them over gently with a cream-colored cloth.

"They used to be kind of mean. But I like Barbara much better now she is in a group with Lotte and Jasminka. And Hannah isn't bragging about her friendship with Diana all the time anymore."

"That used to be so annoying," Molly chuckled. "I remember how one time in the cafeteria she aggressively offered Rachel and me to taste that fancy tea Diana always drinks, telling us over and over again how she received it as a present from Diana when she was a guest at Cavendish Manor over the summer break. It was a little sad. So we both humored her."

"Yes. I remember that!" Gaelle laughed. "She did the rounds of the tables from Monday to Friday."

The three young witches had a good chuckle at the expense of their classmate.

"Well, it is true that all three aren't that annoying and mean anymore," Chloé smiled as she combed back a lock of hair and took her book in her hands. "But I am still going to beat their idol."

#Isn't it sad how she stole her dead sister's boyfriend and is now merrily laughing with her friends?#

#It sure is. I'd kill myself too if I had such a cold-hearted bitch for a little sister.#

Molly's heart froze. She shoved her chair back and looked around the library as she got onto her feet.

"Do you want me to report you to the guard for telepathic crimes?!" She yelled.

"What's wrong?" Chloé anxiously inquired while getting up too. Gaelle looked around and found the eyes of the supernatural defense division guard on her when she raised her eyes to the balcony above them.

"Is there something wrong?" The tall Brazilian woman with the shoulder-length pale-blue hair asked.

Molly angrily looked towards the double-doored entrance of the library. She now saw that one of the doors stood ajar.

"Someone was telepathically gossiping about me and my sister and they included me in the conversation!" She yelled up at the guard.

"Salopes sous-merde!" Chloé exclaimed in a fury.

"I don't sense anybody nearby," The guard said while looking around the second floor and the ground floor. "They must have run off already."

"I know," Molly replied. "The library doors are open. I think they were standing in the doorway when they did it."

Gaelle looked from her two friends to the pensive guard. The hall was bathed in moonlight but otherwise looked quite gloomy.

"Wait there," The guard said. "I'm coming down. I want to know what they said."

"What did they say?" Gaelle asked with a pitying look in her eyes.

Molly frowned and lowered her gaze.

"That Rachel killed herself because I'm a bitch who stole her boyfriend," She whispered.

"How dare they?!" Chloé exclaimed. "Nobody actually thinks that, Molly! They wouldn't dare say that if they really believed it. Everybody knows Rachel loves you more than she even did Will."

"Thank you, Chloé," Molly replied, flashing a radiant smile at her suddenly awed friend. "But like I said before: Nothing will ever be able to make me doubt the love Rachel and I shared. I don't mind what those girls were saying, because they will never understand how much we mean to each other. But I cannot tolerate that they talk that way about Rachel."

"The guard is here," Gaelle alerted her friends.

Molly looked around and saw the woman with the light-blue hair walk up to them from the other side of the library.

"Hello," The stern-looking guard greeted. "My name is Maria Mucoim. You are the girl who was targetted. Are you not?" She asked Molly.

"Yes. My name is Molly Morgan."

"Do you have any idea who might want to distress you?"

"No. I have no idea at all who could be behind this. I'm sorry."

"Maria. You called for me?"

The witches assembled turned around to see a burly Chinese woman with a short green pony-tail dressed in the same light-blue tunic as Maria appear behind Gaelle and Chloé.

"Good evening, girls. I am Yuan Long San form the civil aid division. I was alerted to the fact that a crime was committed here?"

"Yes. Two girls had a telepathic conversation in which they were slandering my sister and me and they made me listen to it," Molly agitatedly spoke.

"Sounds serious," Long San frowned. "You don"t know who it could be?"

Molly once again shook her head.

"Alright then," Long San nodded and approached the girl with the long flowing hair. "Do you mind if I explore your memory? They probably didn't use their own voices, but I am a forensic linguist and the way they talked will be very informative to me."

"I don't mind. Go ahead," Molly told the gently smiling woman.

Gaelle and Chloé watched their friend close her eyes and Long San rest the pointer finger and middle finger of each hand against the blackette's temples.

A few minutes went by without either witch moving. Then Long San let go and Molly opened her eyes again.

"Interesting," The burly Chinese woman said. "You are right not to let these girls influence you. But this is a serious offense and I will pursue the young witches who did this. You think they were standing in the door opening?" She asked as she turned around and walked towards the double doors behind her.

Molly saw the civil aid division investigator walk towards the door in a calm manner.

Long San took a good look at the door for a few moments. Then she took a few steps back and cast a spell.

The girls saw a translucent orb appear around the area of the door opening. Some vague dusty blotches became visible and the orb disappeared again together with the blotches.

"Very well," Yuan Long San said as she turned around and returned to the girls. "I have collected all the information I was able to. It is getting late, so I suggest you return to your rooms and get some sleep.

Exams are coming up," The Chinese woman smiled when she stood before Molly again. "I wouldn't think about this too much if I was you. We are usually able to catch telepathic criminals rather quickly.  
If they target you again during the rest of the night or day you may call on me instantly.  
I will wait for you in the room where we had the interviews earlier when your classes are over tomorrow to talk about this some more."

"Alright," Molly nodded. "Thank you for your help.'

"Miss Mucoim?" Long San looked towards the witch from the supernatural defense division. "Can you escort Miss Morgan to her room please and ask your replacement to stand guard there during the night?"

"Of course," The tall Brazilian with the light-blue hair nodded.

"Then I will report this matter to my superior," Long San bowed. "Good night."

* * *

After Superintendent Yuan teleported away the three young witches took their belongings and escorted by Captain Mucoim they walked Molly to her dorm room where the stern Brazilian with the light-blue hair proceeded to stand guard at the door.

From there Gaelle and Chloé walked leisurely through the dimly lit hallways on the third floor to their own dorm room.

"Who would do such a thing?" Chloé reflected in an agitated voice.

"I hope they catch them," Her bespectacled German friend commented.

Then, suddenly Gaelle stiffened.

"You don't suppose it was the serial killer, do you?!"

Chloé horrifiedly looked at her roommate's pale complexion.

"N… No Way. None of the girls who were killed were ever bullied before they died."

"What are you two talking about?"

Gaelle and Chloé looked behind them through the crimson-carpeted hallway with the oak-paneled walls.

About six meters back a girl with a dark-orange hijab covering her hair and another girl with red-dyed hair and three gold and silver beaded hair locks behind her right ear walked up to them.

"Lely…" "And Abigail…" The two friends muttered.

"Hear that, Lely?" The Peruvian with the red-dyed hair turned to the shorter girl next to her with a smirk.

"Uh-Uh. It seems the great Chloe de La Fontaine is acquainted with us," Her friend and roommate grinned. "We always thought commoners were beneath the greatest witch of..."

"Uh, uh, u-uh!" Abigail waved her finger at the Syrian witch.

"That's riiight," Lely smiled with glee. "Chloé is still second to the great Diana Cavendish. Even though she miraculously managed to beat her in four subjects last summer."

"Only barely," Abigail laughed.

Chloé narrowed her eyes.

"What are the two of you doing walking the hallways of the second-year's dorms at this hour?" She threateningly demanded.

The two girls in front of her shared a look and giggled before they turned back to the witch with the big blonde hair and her glowering friend.

"We only lost our way. That's all," Abigail raised her hands up and grimaced comically.

Then Lely whistled like a lark.

Chloé realized the girl with the dark-orange headwear was saying that learning the song of the birds wasn't going to make the French witch Diana's equal.

"It's you who did that to Molly? Wasn't it?" Gaelle angrily burst out.

"What are you talking about?" Lely smiled as she approached the brunette, touched her nose with the pointer finger of her left hand and turned it into a carrot.

Chloe quickly pushed the girl back while Gaelle turned her nose back to normal.

"Don't think we won't tell the investigators from the civil aid division about this!" Gaelle declared. "You are both in serious trouble."

"Tell them about what?" Abigail asked, standing next to her friend and staring intimidatingly at Chloé and Gaelle.

"We lost our way while going to our dorm room late in the evening and we met two second-years with a big opinion of themselves. How's that spell trouble for us?"

The two girls in question frightenedly glared back.

Then Abigail grinned and walked past them.

"See you later, upperclassmen," Lely giggled and flicked Chloé against her right-ear in passing.

The French girl and her German friend followed the two bullies with frustrated glares until they had turned the corner before opening the door to their dorm room and walking in, agreeing that they would still tell Superintendent Yuan what had happened before going to sleep.

* * *

The five of them were sitting on the cream-colored leather sofas in Satsuki's large living room.

There were three sofas that were oriented around a large silver home cinema set. Against the wall opposite the home cinema set was a large cabinet of dark oak filled with books and DVDs.

Underneath the sofas lay a carpet of gold weave with a pattern of burgundy nightingales and roses that lay over a floor of pearl color square tiles.

Uzu Sanageyama was sitting with his arms folded in front of his chest on the sofa opposite the home cinema. A white tea set with a pot of steaming tea was set in the middle of the glass table before him.

To his left sat Rei Hoomaru in a lavender business suit and Ryuko Matoi in long jeans trousers and a jeans vest over a black T-shirt.

To his right sat Hoka Inumuta in a grey business suit over a blue shirt and Nonon Jakuzure who was wearing black stockings underneath a knee-length pink skirt and a black shirt with a golden cross.

Hoka had been explaining to them how he was dealing with the government investigators. Everything his teal-haired friend had been telling them sounded like he had everything under control.

There shouldn't be anything to worry about anyway.  
The experiments to try and produce a lobotomized Kamui had been abandoned after the destruction of Nudist Beach's remaining facilities convinced all of them that the life fibers were too dangerous to experiment further with.  
Everything that remained of the experiments had been thoroughly wiped from the face of the earth. Including the remaining life fibers. There was nothing that could incriminate Satsuki or ShelteR Inc.

They had visited Satsuki in jail and she had told all of them to remain as calm as she was and that she would gladly remain in jail for several years if it meant ShelteR Inc. and the Root Of Origin project would be spared any ill effects from Revoc's legacy.

"So, we are going to have to wait a while now. It might take us well into the next year before they finish the investigation.  
Luckily, I seem to have managed to keep this house out of the investigation," Hoka soberly stated while he drank his tea.

"And is Satsuki bound to stay locked up the entire time?" Ryuko agitatedly asked while she tapped the carpet nervously with the heel of her right foot.

"I hate the idea of her sitting in a cold prison cell as much as you, greenskeeper," Nonon sighed. "But it seems that for now, that is the best thing she can do."

"I'm afraid the hysterics that foreign newspapers have been working the rest of the world into have put our government under obligation to deal with this matter most forcibly and thoroughly," Hoka answered his black-haired friend with a sympathetic look.

"Obviously they would have done that anyway: When you hear a company on your soil was partly responsible for a global alien invasion you don't tend to hold back.  
But now all eyes are on them, our leaders are not going to give anyone an excuse to criticize them. We are lucky that all foreign governments are so understanding and aren't giving in to the demands to let the International Criminal Court handle the matter."

"Who could have gotten the word out about the invasion of the life fibers to the public is what I want to know," Rei muttered, looking at her knees with furrowed eyebrows while her left arm was draped over the sofa's arm support.

"Any former Honnoji student could have done that," Uzu commented. "Contrary to the rest of the world the students and their families remained aware of what had happened."

Hoka looked at him in a peculiar way.

"We had them vow to us that they would keep the invasion a secret. But sooner or later, in a bar or on a train, someone will let something slip."

"That's right," Hoka agreed. "We all knew this might happen sooner or later. And we knew that the only way to deal with it is to comply with any demand the authorities make and remain calm."

"Luckily the Root Of Origin project seems to remain safe from the storm," Rei said and raised her eyes toward Hoka. "We have put a lot of effort into our public relations with the governments and businesses who have pledged their commitment and they all assure us that no matter the outcome of the inquiry their commitment to the project is guaranteed."

"I wouldn't worry about any repercussions for the project," Hoka spoke soothingly. "Our government made it very clear that they don't see any reason to include it in their investigation."

"Why not though?"

Hoka, Nonon, Ryuko, and Rei turned their gazes on Uzu.

"Why not what?" Hoka frowned.

The men stared at each other, trying to read the other's mind.

"Why don't they investigate the Root Of Origin project? Satsuki is involved in it. Why have they only arrested Satsuki for that matter? We were all involved in the invasion in some way," Uzu calmly motivated his remark.

"You're right!" Ryuko exclaimed and shifted in her seat to better confront the young man with the dark-green hair. "Why only Satsuki? I am Ragyo's daughter too. And you all cooperated with Satsuki in the production of the Goku Uniforms. Why are they only interested in Satsuki."

Hoka exchanged a quick look with Soroi who came in through the door behind Uzu to bring a fresh pot of tea.

"All I can say is that it is impossible to determine how much they know and why they haven't arrested anyone else.  
Perhaps they believe Satsuki was the only person involved with the invasion other than her mother.  
Perhaps they will arrest several of us in the coming weeks. We have to be prepared for that possibility.  
This is an unprecedented crime after all!" The man in a grey business suit over a blue shirt threw his hands up.  
"They are probably still working their heads around the outlandishness of it all."

"So all we can do is lay low and wait for them to make up their minds about whatever they know?" Nonon inquired with a sour expression.

"I'm afraid so," Hoka sighed.

"If you say so," Uzu bitterly stated. "But I can guarantee you that I'm not going to take it as it comes in the case that they come for all of us."

"I agree with you on that," Hoka nodded. "If that day comes we will have no choice but to move underground and find a way to vindicate ourselves to the public."

"Satsuki asked Soroi to pass on a message in case something out of the ordinary happened," Rei remarked.

A suddenly stiffening Soroi found all eyes on him. With the teapot he was about to take with him to the kitchen in his hands he turned around by the door to face the company.

"Miss Satsuki ordered me in case of anything suspicious happening to let Shiro and Miss Yakuzure know that she trusts in their judgment."

Nonon averted her troubled eyes from the tall butler and looked at her hands.

"Thank you, Mister Soroi. If the moment arrives I promise you all that I will not let Satsuki down."

Hoka watched the pinkette with interest.

"So you know what she expects of you?" He asked.

Nonon slowly looked up at him. Then her gaze shifted towards Uzu's grey eyes which were also intently looking at her.

"I do," She quietly said. "But I am kept by an earlier promise to disclose that information to anyone except in case I have no choice."

After a short silence, Ryuko was the first to sigh and fold her arms behind her head.

"So Satsuki is keeping secrets from me again, huh? We'll have a good talk about that when she gets out of jail."

Nonon noticed the hurt expression in her friend's eyes.

"Don't be like that, Ryuko," She said firmly.

"You are the most important person in Satsuki's life. If she has secrets from you even now, she keeps them because she wants to protect you."

"Yeah… I guess so," The blackette with the red streak in her hair sighed deeply. "But I wish she would stop that habit."

"Loving someone is a tough habit to break," Rei grinned with a slightly mocking expression at the blushing young woman in the jeans vest and the black t-shirt.

"Exactly!" Hoka concluded. "Let's all keep in mind that whatever Satsuki does she does with the good of us all in mind. And we will do what we have to with her well-being in mind."

To underline that he considered the discussion finished, the acting CEO of ShelteR Inc. casually took the remote control of the home cinema system from the table in front of him and pressed a button.

"For now the best we can do is to keep ourselves informed. As much as I keep my eyes open on the internet you can't beat a news report for a good overview of public opinion."

Right in front of their eyes, a two-meter tall stuffed doll in the likeness of Satsuki was lit up in the middle of a cheering crowd.

"Here in front of the White House, protesters have been gathering since Monday!" A handsome American reporter in a beige trenchcoat stated as the camera turned toward him. "Every hour more people are arriving with banners and loudspeakers!"

"Hell No! You won't stop our voices now! Hell No! You won't stop our voices now!" The crowd around the reporter shouted.

"These people are angry with their President and their government for treating the concerns about a second invasion and the lack of trust in the judgment of the Japanese government so lightly!" The reporter awkwardly shouted into his microphone.  
"They!… They demand that their government pressures Tokyo into having the daughter of the woman who used her Revocs corporation to collaborate with the aliens that tried to commit genocide on the entire human race trialed before the International Criminal Court!"

Everyone in the room was appalled by what they had seen.

"Their demands seem reasonable..." Uzu coldly stated and made his friends turn their horrified faces on him.

But he only looked at Hoka.

"... I don't see why any of this should be taken lightly."

Because he seemed the only one out of them all who somehow had been aware the entire time that Hoka was feeling very guilty about something.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	9. Chapter 9

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

 **Three years ago. Olomouc, Czech Republic.**

 **Nela's voice:**  
 **I knock three times on the stained glass window in the white door to the student counselor's office and come in when Hanka calls me in.**

 **The small white room I walk into has a metal filing cabinet in the far corner to my right. In front of me is the painted white wooden desk where Hanka is sitting at in a dark-blue vest over a light-blue shirt.**

 **Hanka is 34. She's popular among the boys and clearly dresses deliberately plain due to that popularity. It doesn't deter them though. It's not that she's especially attractive - she's of average height, she has a nice body, has shoulder-length blonde hair and a cute face - but she's a bit overly friendly and that more than anything has them fawn over her.**

 **I like her. She talked to me a lot after grandfather died. It was a hard time for me, but thanks to my parents, Jana, and Filip from the club and Hanka I feel better now. I still miss my grandfather of course and I visit grandmother a lot.**

 **"Take a seat, Nela," Hanka smiles and holds out an inviting hand to the chair in front of her desk with her Hewlett Packard laptop to my left and a couple of files to my right.**

 **She's not wearing her glasses today. I think she looks cuter without them. My eyes wander over to the picture with her husband and her baby girl behind her on the table against the wall.**

 **"So, Nela… How was your day?"**

 **"Good," I say. "We had two hours of cooking before the lunch break, so we had a nice meal. Nico thought he could get his eggs whipped before me, but I beat him and got his dessert. Hahaha."**

 **"That boy should really learn not to challenge you by now," Hanka laughed.**

 **"I think so. It's getting embarrassing. But he's sweet."**

 **"Do you like him?" Hanka smiles.**

 **"Like?" I stare at her smile for a moment and roll my eyes. "I told you: I'm not interested in boys."**

 **"But you don't care about girls either you said," Hanka says and sits back in her rotating green desk-chair with a sigh.**

 **"You're fourteen now. You are a very handsome girl. I know of several boys who think so. You must have had someone you liked these past years. Apart from that horrible boy when you were in elementary school."**

 **I smile and shrug. There really hasn't been anyone I have had those kinds of feelings for since Evzen.**  
 **As I think this I allow myself to remember a small part of my latest fantasy about the girl in the blue mask but manage to keep myself from looking weird.**

 **"I'm sure I'll fall in love someday. I just haven't found anyone who's good enough for me," I smirk.**

 **Hanka closes her eyes and exhales.**

 **"That's not the best attitude to have when it comes to emotional bonds, Nela. People are made in such a way that often you don't know how important you might become to one another unless you give them a chance. In many cases, it is only if you take that chance that you might really get to know someone."**

 **We stare at each other.**

 **Then I cross my arms in front of my chest. Hanka observes the blue flannel vest I'm wearing.**

 **"I know about all that," I say with a bored attitude. "But I'm going to study to become a lawyer in three years. And as much as common social and emotional truths can't be denied it is also true that commonly, people have romantic relationships most exclusively with people from the economic circles they move in. So even if Nico is nice he's not the kind of boyfriend I'm looking for."**

 **Hanka slaps her left hand to her forehead. I hear her mutter something like: "Holy Mary! Kids these days!"**

 **"Alright… We'll talk about this another time," She finally says and leans her arms on her desk.**

 **"What I made this appointment with you for is because I want to talk to you about your hobby."**

 **I roll my eyes and whistle. I'm used to the kinds of things outsiders have to say about youth boxing.**

 **"How are you enjoying boxing these days? I heard your uncle chose not to pursue training teens under fifteen in the club anymore."**

 **"Yes… That's been frustrating," I say while putting a hand through my long hair and sliding it back. "There's a new club that promotes itself by claiming they want to invest in youth boxing, but…"**

 **Hanka observes me as I tap her desk with the fingers of my right hand. I stop and pull on my jeans. Is it just me who thinks all of her clothes used to feel more comfortable? It's not like I gained weight.**

 **The truth is that I am a little bored with boxing nowadays.**

 **"Since I won the title there hasn't been a single… There hasn't been anyone who's been a challenge to me in an official match. I have also beaten all of the boys in Czechia in friendly encounters. I am waiting for the day I turn fifteen so that I can start fighting in the youth league. But so far I haven't seen anyone older than me who comes close to me when it comes to technique and skill." I exhale exaggeratedly.**

 **"How unashamedly you brag about yourself, Nela," Hanka giggles. Then she sits back in her green office chair.**

 **"You've reached the top and had to stop and that's what's been bothering you?"**

 **"Huh?" I frown. "Yeah. That's it I guess. If only I was allowed to fight internationally…"**

 **'Or if I could fight her again' I think to myself.**

 **"What do you think of fencing?" Hanka asks me with a big smile as she folds her arms before her blue-clad chest.**

 **"Fencing?"**

 **"Have you ever seen a fencing match? They're very intense. It takes a lot of athletic prowess, fast reflexes, agility, and presence of mind. Just as in boxing," Hanka says. "I think it's a sport you might enjoy very much."**

 **"Fencing…" I say again. "switch sports? I don't know. I've been boxing for so long..."**

 **"I wish I could still consider four years a long time," Hanka says with a lopsided smile.**

 **"I have visited a nearby club two weeks ago and I talked to the manager. They seem to put a lot of effort into training teens. And teens can compete internationally in fencing so there would be lots of girls you would be able to compete with.**  
 **You'd have to learn an entirely new sport, which is full of challenges in itself.**

 **It is also a sport which poses a lot less risk of serious injury, which I am sure you are tired of hearing but I think you should seriously consider."**

 **I do consider that it would set my parents' hearts at ease if I stopped boxing.**

 **"What do you think?" Hanka inquires with a tilt of her face. "You are perhaps thinking you would be betraying your grandfather or maybe you want me to talk to your grandmother if you are worried about her feelings?"**

 **"No no," I pensively shake my head. "Grandfather only wanted me to feel confident and be happy. He saw the sport he was so passionate about as a means to an end. He would encourage me to stay engaged in a sport or any other activity where I might find my perfect rival, but he wouldn't care where that was.**  
 **And grandmother never cared for me being a boxer. She only tolerated it because she knew grandfather would watch closely over me."**

 **"Then what are your doubts?" Hanka asks.**

 **I could still visit grandmother and see Jana and Filip whenever I want. I wouldn't see them as much, but we can skype and text as we do now.**  
 **I must admit: The idea of learning a new competitive sport and fishing for rivals in a much larger pond than I am now is making me feel excited.**

 **I am forever dreaming of fighting the girl in the blue mask again and I think I am a little scared that she may seek me out one day, learn that I am not boxing anymore and walk away without even letting me know she was looking for me.**  
 **But I should be sensible and accept that she probably forgot all about me.**

 **If she had been my perfect rival she would have found a way to stay by my side. She wouldn't have accepted letting me slip away. I know I wouldn't have.**

 **I slowly look up at Hanka with a nervous smile.**

 **"Can we go and visit that club together?" I ask.**

* * *

Mako watched the lights of Tokyo Tower and the skyline in the distance in the darkness through the room-wide-and-high window in Ira Gamagoori's spacious Toranomon Hills apartment with the eggshell white walls while humming quietly to herself.

Ira was in the kitchen behind her preparing their desserts.  
He had been worrying all through his homemade dinner about how he would ask her.

Mako didn't care if for some reason he wasn't aware of the change within him. It allowed her the pleasure of sometimes picking up on his feelings without him knowing hers.

Would he want to live in this apartment with her? She liked the place very much. She had been here often these past three years.

The small lime-green oval-shaped dining room table with the aluminum chairs made her feel taller.  
The dark bamboo floorboards and the white thick carpet combined with the ceiling light bathed the luxurious main room in a warm and homely atmosphere.  
The white warm sofa on the carpet opposite the flat-screen television on top of the dark bamboo cupboard had seen her sitting next to the giant man she adored watching television many times.

For four years Ira had kept pretending they were just friends out of some kind of crippling insecurity.  
She had waited patiently. Because Mako was old-fashioned in this: Ira had to confess his love to her before they would move on to the next step in their relationship. However awkward and possibly painful that might be.

Ira would be gentle though. Maybe a little too gentle. Mako felt her face heat up and forced herself to return to her original train of thought.

She waited patiently for him. Ultimately preferring life as friends to the more assertive men at work who had made passes at her, but who all received a clear refusal.  
Ira was her man. However their relationship might evolve, there was no other person Mako cared about so much as the big adorable man except for Ryuko.

"I'm sorry for making you wait!" Sweet Ira exclaimed as he came to her with two bowls of cream Anmitsu and placed them carefully on the table.

"Don't worry, Ira," The brunette in the frilly pink shirt and the Bordeaux leggings cheerfully answered. "I know it will be worth it."

Ira frowned a little before he sat down before her. Maybe he was able to pick up on some feelings. Or maybe her happiness just showed on her face.

"So… did you enjoy the movie?"

"Sure I did, silly Ira," Mako giggled. "You already asked me three times."

"Ah! Yes!" Ira panicked. "I'm sorry."

Mako watched the large man in the sexy black T-shirt and the white linen trousers scratch his blonde hair.

She was going to have to help him a little.

"I always love coming here to your apartment, Ira. I can just relax here as if I was at home. And it's so warm in these western rooms. Central heating is really amazing! I already took off my sweater and so did you…"

'Oh-ho. Slow down, Mako-girl,' The overheating brunette warned herself.

"Ah… Uh… Yes," Ira stammered. "I was wondering if you liked it here. Because…"

"Listen, Ira Gamagori!" Mako suddenly exclaimed while leaning over the table and holding Ira's hands. "I've been getting the feeling that there is something you want to ask me, but you seem unsure of my answer. That's why I want to cheer you on with this song I created especially for the occasion!"

The brunette jumped behind her onto the elevated plateau the kitchen was built on and started to jump like an American cheerleader. Her choreography involved pirouettes, splits, high-kicks and all kinds of other moves Ira had never seen before.

"Ira make your move! Because you have to know! That Mako likes you so! Her answer's always: Yes! Mako always says: Yes!  
Mako loves you so! So Ira make your move! Mako always says: Yes! Mako always says: Yes!" The chubby brunette exclaimed with another jump.

Ira was mesmerized by the spectacle. It confused him. He couldn't stop watching Mako's bouncy shapely legs in those Bordeaux leggings. Some primal urge rose up within him. An urge he couldn't resist any longer.

"Mako Mankanshoku!" He yelled. "Sit down immediately!"

Mako sat down at the table as if she was back in school and looked at the towering figure before her.

"I need to know right **NOW** whether you want to move in with me! I have loved you for a long time and I cannot keep going on like this without you knowing. So I need an answer! Do you want to marry me?!"

"Yes! Yes! Yeeees! **YEEEEEEEEEEEES!"** The brunette yelled as she jumped into Ira's arms and kissed him all over his face, his neck, his arms. She jumped into his T-shirt and started to kiss the tanned blonde giant's hard firm chest. Ira was very warm. Very hot. He was such a sexy big man...

* * *

They had done it. Mako should have known she was so flexible now that she didn't have a thing to worry about. And it was so heavenly. Ira had been very tender and yet very passionate. They had done it eight times.

"I love you, my sweet Ira," The small chubby brunette said as she kissed her fiancee's face while lying in the embrace of his enormous left arm in the darkness of the bedroom.

"I love you too, little Mako," Ira grinned. "Did I really not hurt you?" He asked again.

"Not at all, Ira. Ira Gamagori is always super-tender and kind. He is the sweetest, kindest man in the world for Mako," The diminutive young woman sang.

"I… I'm sorry it took me so long to finally confess to you. And you waited for me so patiently… I'm really embarrassed and very sorry," Ira grimaced.

"That's all in the past, sweet Ira," Mako smiled with her eyes closed, hugging her giant's big warm body. "Mako doesn't mind at all."

"Really not?" Ira smiled.

"No. At first, I was a little afraid that you maybe didn't really like me in the same way. But eventually, I realized there was nobody else you spent so much time with and I noticed how happy you were with me here. So I patiently waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited…"

Ira started to sweatdrop as he got the feeling that Mako maybe did mind how he had kept her waiting for his confession just a little.

"...and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited…"

* * *

 **Last February. Olomouc, Czech Republic.**

 **Nela's voice:  
Bruk pizza bar is crowded. Muse's Newborn is rocking through the speakers. I am sitting in the red cloth upholstered sofa that runs along the walls in the backroom with the orange walls when Bohdana finally walks in through the arched hallway and seats herself in the wooden chair on the other side of the little dark oak table with the diagonal pink placemat.**

 **"I'm sorry I'm late," She smiles apologetically. I missed the first bus. Did you order something?"**

 **She is wearing brown boots over jeans and a plaid shawl over her white knitted pullover. Her brown eyes match the color of her shoulder-length hair.**

 **She smiles gently and warm.**

 **When Bohndana also joined the fencing club here in Olomouc I heard a rumor that she was bisexual. I didn't really believe it, but upon learning that she recently became Jiri's girlfriend I formed a cunning plan into my head.**

 **At a party organized by the club, I tried to seduce her.**  
 **I was more awkward than I wanted to appear. I didn't have much experience with these things after all. But she started to kiss me and we snuggled up to each other on a seat in the back of the bar.**

 **A friend from the club filmed us. I was going to send the video to Jiri but when I told Bohdana my plan she said she had suspected I was up to something.**

 **When I asked her why she went along with it she smiled and told me she was drunk and thought I looked cute.**  
 **Then she said I was welcome to send the video to Jiri but grimacingly told me that if I wanted to get back at him for the bullying sending him a film of two girls kissing probably wasn't the best way to go about it.**  
 **After that, we talked for a long time and she apologized sincerely for her part in the bullying.**

 **Since then we've kind of become friends. Every time she looks as cute as now I can't help but stare at her lips.**  
 **I know she likes me, but I don't know if I'm interested in her that way.**

 **"I only got this Gambrinus," I say. "But I'm hungry, so look at the menu and choose already. You always take ages."**

 **Bohdana giggles and opens the menu card on the table while I stare at the pizza pies on the cardboard plates a waiter is bringing the people sitting at the tables along the wall to my right.**

 **"So…" Bohdana starts while she looks at the menu. "If you don't want to be a lawyer anymore what are you going to study in two years? Engineering? Medicine?"**

 **An old rock-song starts to play: "** **One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal. O** **ne golden glance of what should be... "**

 **"I don't know yet," I say while I take off my blue sweater and reveal the violet T-shirt I am wearing underneath. I feel static electricity all over my body.**

 **"Hahaha!" Bohdana laughs. "What was that?"**

 **"What was what?" I ask while I place my sweater next to me on the red sofa.**

 **"You were sparkling or glowing rather."**

 **"Sparkling?" I frown. "I felt some static while I removed my sweater. It was hardly St. Elmo's fire."**

 **My friend slides a lock of her dark-brown hair back. The light from the lamp in Bruk's main hall is positioned right behind her head and seems to create a blue shine around it. I stare into her dark-brown eyes and feel my heart beat fast.**

 **"That was no static electricity," Bohdana giggles. "Don't be modest, Nela. It doesn't suit you. We both know your handsome looks dazzle every girl you meet," She flirts.**

 **"Just order your pizza," I roughly answer with a blush.**

 **Bohdana bends over the menu with a grin while I hear an increasing commotion in the main hall. Through the window in the wall to my left, I see people pointing at their cellphones outside. Inside, some of the customers gather around the flat-screen television set suspended in the upper corner just outside of the arched hallway in the main hall.**

 **I'm listening to the lyrics of the song playing from the playlist and enjoy the upbeat rhythm while watching the hustle and bustle: "T** **his flame that burns inside of me.** **I'm hearing secret harmonies... "**

 **"I think I want a Bruk Pepperoni Special. But I was craving for the Spinach And Egg Fest when we said we'd meet here," The girl in the white knitted pullover and the plaid shawl opposite me mutters.**

 **"Then ask for a slice of each," I say. "We could have a Pizza Party…"**

 **The moment the words leave my mouth I regret them.**

 **"That's a great idea!" Bohdana says with a hyped-up voice as she looks up. "But what flavor will I choose for my third slice…"**

 **"I think I might go into the army or something," I say while I absent-mindedly hear people mention the words "Missile" and "War". "Or the police… Or maybe I can study to become an engineer as you keep suggesting. I don't know…**

 **Sometimes I think I want to study chemistry at university or medicine or physics," I say while I put a hand through my long hair and heave a deep sigh. "I don't know what I want to do.**  
 **Sometimes I think there should be a way to study all of those things together.**  
 **Sometimes I think that there is something out there for me I've waited my entire life for. Something amazing that I want to put all of my efforts into. "**

 **"... This is a kind of magic... (It's a kind of magic)... There can be only ooone...!" Blurts through the speakers.**

 **The people around us are getting up from their seats and gather around the television set. People are starting to cheer and they're saying things that make me think they are losing their minds.**

 **"I'm gonna get the Bruk Pepperoni Special, the Spinach And Egg Fest, and the Quatro Formaggi!" Bohdana says with a satisfied smile.**

 **"What's going on…?" I whine as I look over her shoulders at the people cheering excitedly at the television screen.**

 **"I don't know?" My friend answers while looking behind her. "Let's check it out.**

 **Bohdana gently pushes through the crowd packed tightly around the suspended flat-screen television.**  
 **I follow behind her as we slide in between the people blocking the arched hallway and finally look up at the screen too.**

 **Then I see them…**

 **There are two of them. In silver tunics and pointy hats! They're real! And they're flying a broom. My heart is beating fast like it was earlier.**

 **"It's Saxana…" I gasp.**

 **"They're witches!" Bohdana exclaims in surprise.**

 **"... The bell that rings inside your mind. Is** **challenging the doors of time..."**

 **People are yelling at the two girls to go for it, that they are heroes. My heart is racing in my chest. I feel amazing…**

 **"That's a nuclear warhead!" A man tells Bohdana. "It's headed for F…"**

 **"It's turning around!" A woman interrupts him.**

 **I watch how the strangely glowing black-and-maroon missile that just destroyed a bunch of missiles which had been fired to intercept it turns around in pursuit of the two witches who a moment ago transformed its remaining projectiles into stuffed animals.**

 **Everyone sounds worried.**

 **I'm not. I feel amazing.**

 **The missile with the frightful face splits apart into multiple other missiles that target the witches. One of them hops from their broom onto one of the missiles and transforms it into a purple whale. Then she jumps onto another and transforms it into sparkles or butterflies.**

 **She's amazing. She dances around like an acrobat hundreds of meters high in the sky.**

 **Then she jumps back onto the broom her friend is flying, but one of the missiles bumps her off and she falls down into the clouds below.**

 **"Oh nooo!" People scream "She fell!"**

 **People are yelling in horror as the brunette witch's friend desperately tries to evade the attacks of the missiles so she can fly down to save her.**

 **"She's going to be fine!" I smirk as the people around me hold their breath.**

 **Several of them turn around and look at me.**

 **"N… Nela… You're glowing again," Bohdana mutters next to me in an awed voice.**

 **I look at her and at the people around us.**

 **"... This rage that lasts a thousand years. W** **ill soon be, will soon be, w** **ill soon be gooone...!"**

 **"So are you," I frown. "Everybody is."**

 **Bohdana nods while she stares at me with a reverential look in her eyes.**

 **"Not like you are," She says.**

 **"It's Saxana," I smile. "She's going to save the day. Come oooon, Saxana!"**

 **"You can do it!" Other people shout. "Go, Saxana!" "It's Saxana!"**

 **At that moment the girl on the broomstick is bumped off by the missiles, but the girl who fell down earlier reappears flying a tuned up broom with wings, grabs her friend by the hand, and swings her up onto the broom behind her.**

 **Everyone in Bruks is cheering.**

 **They fly up at a dazzling speed, followed by the missiles who merge into one again.**

 **Higher and higher they fly. The missile can't gain on them. They outfly it at top speed.**  
 **Then, when they reach the stratosphere they stop and stand upright on the broom, facing the approaching missile.**  
 **The pure black of the universe is around them, decorated by the light of a billion stars.**

 **The staff the shorter girl had been brandishing transforms into a great shiny bow.**

 **The crowd in Bruks and the crowd in the streets are cheering as the missile finally catches up to them.**  
 **I feel amazing.**

 **The shortest witch says something and the two girls share a heartfelt smile. We all watch how they fire the bow and a projectile hits the missile which explodes into a billion shiny stars that fall down like snow.**

 **I feel amazing. This is the moment I've been waiting for my entire life. This is what I want to put all of my efforts into.**

 **"... This is a kind of magic. T** **here can be only one...!"**

 **And I know she is feeling the same. I know she is watching this. Somehow I can hear her laugh. I can sense her smile. I know that she is thinking the exact same thing I am: 'This is the ultimate arena. The ultimate pursuit.'**

 **"I know where I will find my perfect rival, grandpa," I smile.**

 **"Huh?!" Bohdana yells at me through the loud cheers of the other customers who are dancing and high-fiving. "What did you say?"**

 **"I'm not going to be an engineer, Bohdana…!" I shout at her while she stares at me with wide-open eyes and her lips spread into a big smile. "I'm going to be a witch!"**

* * *

Akko was sitting in lotus position on a bench near Luna Nova's main building in the park around the school while a witch from the supernatural defense division was watching her from a position behind a tree about fifteen meters away. She was wearing the purple skirt and purple vest over the white shirt of her Luna Nova uniform.

A few hundred meters behind her a wall of trees could be seen that was part of the large primeval European forest which stretched out for kilometers around the school.

Akko's dutiful guard wasn't the only person watching her. A little magitronic spider that had been observing her from its position in a crevice in the wall opposite the young witch since she came here was able to register the tiniest detail in every fold of the brunette's skirt.

The black spider was one among many that had been spreading unnoticed around Luna Nova lately.

Positioned at strategic spots in and around the school there was scarce an image or a sound that escaped them.

The spider suddenly registered that someone was approaching Akko and fine-tuned its audio-receptors.  
It recognized the approaching witch as Amanda O' Neil and after saving the recorded data it added the name to the tags of the new recording.

"Aaah…." Amanda sighed as she allowed herself to sag like a bag onto the bench next to her friend and draped her left arm over the wooden backrest.

"What are you doing here?" Akko complained without opening her eyes. "Can't you see I'm practicing my meditation?  
I'm really sorry the European Inter-High was canceled, but if you want to whine about it again I haven't got the time to listen right now."

"Jeez, you're sympathetic!" Amanda exclaimed while she regarded her friend with an incredulous look. "I thought you would understand more than anyone what it feels like to lose something important to you. Nice friend you are."

"I didn't "lose" Chariot," Akko replied in an annoyed tone. "She's working for the Witches Council now, but she said she was going to try to use her new job as a step-up to apply for a position in the university the Witches Council is going to build. And we agreed to spend the holidays together next summer.

And you didn't lose the tournament either. You still have the World Championship in January."

"If that doesn't get canceled too," Amanda sighed and looked up at the grey sky and listened to a cuckoo calling. "Light-Saber fencing is the one release I have from the corset they got me wearing here. And now they take that from me too, because they can't guarantee the safety of the students with the witch hunter still at large.  
I'm gutted, you know? Elfriede says she is positively heartbroken"

The orangette turned her face toward her friend again and blew some air at her left ear.

"Leave me alone," Akko said in a restrained voice. "You're being annoying."

"I don't even see how we would be in danger at the Inter-High," Amanda continued her lament while about fifteen meters behind and to the left of the two friends Elfriede tackled Sarah after having chased her new girlfriend from the courtyard.  
The brunette then sat down on her girlfriend's bottom before trapping the arms with which the taller girl was trying to cover her face behind Sarah's back and smiled amorously down at the blushing redhead. The magitronic spider added their names to the recording.

"As absurdly powerful as that murderer is she wouldn't be stupid enough to target anyone at a gathering of some of the most talented witches in the world," The noisy American next to Akko stated.

"Yes. That's why the Witches Council probably fears she would target the girls who remained in the schools while those powerful witches are away and the supernatural defense division is spread thin because they are trying to ensure the safety at the Inter-High," Akko deadpanned.

"Oh… I guess I didn't see things like that," Amanda said with a baffled look.

Behind her, Elfriede was leaning over Sarah and planted a multitude of kisses on the face of her former roommate who was giggling loudly and kicked her legs in delight.

On the left side of the magitronic spider's field of vision, three other witches came out of the forest, carefully observed by Akko's guard and walked toward the bench Akko and her friend were occupying.

"Well… That's what Diana and Wangari say anyway," Akko said, still sitting in lotus position with her eyes closed.

Amanda grinned at her friend while the magitronic spider added several new tags to its recording.

"Is she still researching those ancient Gods the two of you read about?" The tomboy asked.

The Japanese witch finally gave up on her exercises and opened her eyes while throwing her hands up.

"She's always studying the Amtide!" The brunette complained. "I know she's probably right in her hunch, so I know what she's doing is important. But she's too invested in it. She hasn't got any attention for anything else anymore… She's completely obsessed!"

"You mean she hasn't got any attention to you, huh?" Amanda smirked.

Akko showed the American a dirty look.

"She also said that there is little more she can teach me, so I should focus on practicing the things I learned this year and attend the extra lessons Professor Thiry is giving me."

"Hahaha! The two of you are like an old married couple and your wife just found a new hobby."

"If only we could be…" Akko muttered.

Amanda grew silent and regarded her friend with a serious look.

"Hey, if you really love Diana that much why don't you try asking…"

"I'm not interested in having that discussion again!" Akko Bolted her friend.

"Oookay…" Amanda exhaled while she slowly removed the Japanese witch's hand from her face. "But I think you should tell her."

The two sat and looked up at the towers of the school building while Elfriede and Sarah were sitting in the grass behind them, talking and laughing.

"Hey, how are things with Sucy?" Amanda inquired.

"Good?" Akko shrugged. "If you want more details you'll have to ask Hannah. But she's doing well at school and that inheritance business has almost worked itself out. She said she'll have a few surprises for us when she comes back."

"Guess who!" Akko suddenly heard while she got a smack to the face.

"Aaah!"

"Oops… I'm so sorry, Akko," Filiz said as she rubbed the back of her head while her idol rubbed her sore forehead.

The supernatural defense division guard who had been watching Akko and the one who had followed Filiz and her friends mirrored their movements with feelings of amused exasperation.

The brunette stood muttering curses in front of the bench she had been sitting in before she was assaulted.

"I wanted to surprise you, but I guess my enthusiasm got the better of me," Her number one fan apologized with an embarrassed grin.

"I told you not to do it," Nela sighed while Isabelle looked ahead.

"My mediation sessions is ruined anyway, thanks to this one," Akko sighed as she sat down again and pointed her thumb at Amanda.

"Meditation session?" Isabelle repeated with a frown. "Again? Professor Thiry has got you working hard."

"Yes. Yes. I have to go to private sessions with her after classes and she is always going on about how I should channel my emotions in order to enhance my capabilities."

"Watch out that she's not another Croix," Amanda pointedly remarked.

"I will," Akko replied. "But Chariot assured me that she's extremely trustworthy and dutiful. Besides, Professor Croix did terrible things, but she's a good person underneath."

"I can certainly understand the appeal of meditation," Filiz joked. "We did some meditating of our own after our battle with the murderer. Didn't we, Isabelle?" The blackette laughed and draped her arm around the French girl's shoulders.

"That's true, hihihihihihi!" Isabelle laughed so gratingly she made Akko jump and had some of the birds in the nearby trees fly up. "We had ten days worth of meditation."

"I still can't believe you slept that long," Amanda whistled. "It's a good thing you're alright now."

"Well it was an extremely powerful spell," Filiz explained. "And we fought a far superior opponent…"

"She wasn't that great. If she was so powerful we wouldn't be here," Nela huffed and observed confusedly how everyone around her sweatdropped at her remark.

"Even you slept for four days, Nela," Isabelle deadpanned. "Our bodies and minds were severely taxed by what we went through."

"But Nela was so worried about us after she woke up," Filiz laughed and put her arm around the blonde's shoulders. "I heard she helped the trolls wash us and made sure to cast nutritional conversion spells on the food she brought us from the cafeteria. I didn't know you cared so much, dear Nela."

"They made that up," Nela blushed and recoiled from her teasing roommate. "Let go. You're heavy."

Isabelle disinterestedly watched her two roommates play the fool and turned her eyes on Akko and Amanda with a smile.

"I'm glad Headmistress Holbrooke and Professors Badcock, Thiry, and Chariot cast that protection spell on the three of us," She said while her audience gazed up at her yellow-tinted unilens sunglasses. "It was nice of them to keep watch over us during our nap-time, but I feel much safer this way. It's really a very powerful spell."

"It is, yeah," Filiz who let go of her embarrassed friend agreed. "Professor Thiry is a very powerful witch. But that's what you'd expect from someone who was in a group with Professor Chariot.  
Golems are her specialty," The ponytailed brunette grinned at her French roommate.

"She's from that small country, the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, isn't she?" Akko checked.

"She's actually from the part of Luxembourg that became part of the Belgium Kingdom," Isabelle said with a smile as she spotted Elfriede and Sarah kissing in the grass at several meters distance. "But she spent most of her life in Amsterdam," The French witch continued while she looked over her right shoulder and grinned at her roommates.

"Yes," Nela smirked. "It seems Professor Thiry was a police-investigator for fifteen years before she came back to her Alma-mater."

"Wait a minute…" Amanda said and scratched her head. "Are you saying…?"

"It seems the department of order and protection considered me their prime suspect for a while, because somehow I seemed to have a connection to many of the girls who were murdered and because two idiots I went to elementary school with went and joined one of those anti-witch groups," The Czech explained.

"They wanted to lure me out during my interview by having me talk to an outsider, thinking I might get loose-lipped when talking to someone who isn't a witch. So when they learned someone with Professor Thiry's background was joining the teachers at Luna Nova they made a deal with her and spread that story about lacking experience while Professor Thiry used a golem to interview us. This also ensured she wouldn't lose all respect from the student body when after she had done the interviews she was introduced as a new teacher."

"Yet you are telling our fellow students the entire story after Professor Thiry humbly apologized to you. Thereby rendering her efforts to protect her reputation fruitless," Isabelle grinned. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Nela duly flashed her friend with the purple bob a sardonic smile.

"I don't think many people would relish getting on the wrong side of a light-saber held by Nela," Filiz chuckled.

"I guess Professor Thiry really is a very strict and proper person if she endangered her career at Luna Nova in order to do right by you," Amanda remarked while crossing her legs in her purple skirt.

"You don't know half of it," Akko muttered.

"Alright already!" Nela sighed. "Are you all going to make me feel guilty? I'm not keeping a grudge. I just slipped up. So please keep this to yourselves," The witch with the long wavy blonde hair bowed to Akko and Amanda.

"The proper way to ask would have been: "I humbly beg your pardon for making a mistake. I entreat you to keep this a secret, please." But your secret is safe with us," The Japanese witch grinned.

"I've been teaching Nela Japanese etiquette for when I show my sweet roommates the beauty of our mother country," Filiz smiled and hung around Nela and Isabelle's necks. "But she still needs some polishing."

"All of this rather makes Professor Thiry look like the Diana to Chariot and Croix's…" Amanda stopped in mid-sentence and crossed her eyes. "Or rather the Lotte to Croix and Chariot's Sucy and Akko," The American witch smoothly concluded.

"Isn't Diana's familiar handsome?!" Filiz exclaimed. "She rides him out west in the grasslands near the mountains sometimes. I asked to ride him, but Mary told me it would be best to allow them time to bond. Too much interaction with others might confuse their relationship at this stage, she said."

Isabelle and Nela quietly watched their civilly complaining roommate in the purple skirt and vest over a white shirt.

"I know she's right, yeah," The Japanese witch held her hands out to the sides with a sigh. "But he looks so cool! He's a real Unicron!"

"Normally we'll have to choose and bond with a familiar next year," Amanda stated with a look at the windows where her friends' room was situated. "But you can expect Diana to get there before the rest of us."

"That's not really accurate," Nela observed. "Since it's not really her familiar."

"I know. It was her ancestors'," Amanda conceded. "But she still found a familiar before the rest of us."

"She inherited one," Nela pressed. "It's not the same as finding one with her own power."

"Let it go, Nela!" Filiz and Akko sang in unison.

Out of the field of vision of the magitronic spider that was recording the banter and laughter of the young witches, about fifteen meters to the left of it and two meters above, a sadly sighing Diana was looking adoringly at the Japanese witch who had stolen her heart more than a year ago.

 **Nela's voice:  
** **Each of us has a perfect rival. Someone who starts out on equal footing with us and grows at a comparable pace. Someone who has an emotional connection to us which goads the fires of competition to increasing heights.  
It is the noblest aspiration a person can have: To strive for excellence in the field that they will one day compete in with that perfect rival.  
All that man has achieved came forth from two people trying to outdo one another.**

A melancholy smile played along the lips of the platinum-blonde Brit as she heard the distinct laughter of the girl she loved and saw her gesticulate.

At the remembrance ceremony, Akko and Andrew had been talking constantly. They had asked Diana to join in of course, but the young witch knew she would only be in the way. It was perfectly clear to her who Andrew's rumored fiancé was.

"What is it that makes you look out of the window so longingly? "Banagher asked as he approached in the clearing between Diana's bed with the burgundy bed sheets whereupon the girl was sitting and the dark-cyan wall of the room while attempting to see where his mistress was looking.

The unicorn had shrunk down to the size of a large dog in order to facilitate his co-habitation of the apartment.

"I hardly think what your mistress longs for is any of your business," Mary, who was lying on her bed near the window with Akko's bed in between hers and Diana's harshly reprimanded the startled unicorn. "I believe you are here to help Diana find more information about the Chaos Gods. So far you have been of precious little help."

"I believe my mistress will tell me herself when I am overstepping the bounds of our relationship," Banagher haughtily replied with a snort. "Meanwhile, I question why you insist on following her around everywhere. I would start to think you are stalking Diana."

"Not at all," Mary smiled. "I am her roommate after all. Luna Nova students are all placed into groups of three so we can look out for each other and help one another. It is quite ordinary for Diana, Akko, and me to be together.  
And I live in this room after all. So you better get used to my company. Meanwhile, I'm curious about the powers of the Chaos Gods. Ehichapu for instance… What are her… or his abilities?"

Banagher slowly curled up his upper lip and swished his tail at the sight of the challenging light in the bluette's eyes.

"You are a curious human being," He observed in an insinuating voice. "I sometimes wonder whether you are human at all."

"That's a crack up," Mary chuckled with visible irritation. "I sometimes wonder whether you are really a unicorn."

"Honestly!" Diana suddenly exclaimed with a sigh. "The two of you keep quarreling like children. I don't know what is the cause of this enmity, but if you don't care to share it with me kindly make an effort to get along superficially."

"I'm sorry, Diana," Mary smiled. "I know you feel it is your duty to discover as much as possible so that you can bring the Witches Council tangible information on your discovery. That's why I was trying to goad Banagh…"

Three knocks on the door diverted the attention of the witches and the horse.

Diana instantly left her bed and walked over to the door, opening it to Professor Finnelan.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Diana," The woman said as soon as she came in. "Were you and Banagher able to discover anything new from your ancestor Beatrix's diaries about the foundation of Luna Nova?"

"Nothing so far, I'm afraid. We have been using the association method to hopefully find more information in the Amtide. But we have been equally unfruitful in that endeavor. We just took a short break, but now that you are here we will start our research anew."

The two witches sat down at Diana's reading desk where the Amtide lay open while on Mary's desk to the left three other smaller volumes lay with several sheets of paper.

Banagher followed his mistress, carefully treading the burgundy carpet, while Mary took the book she had been reading and sat down in the lime-green sofa in the middle of the apartment.

"I have made a diagram, detailing everything we have discovered about the Chaos Gods so far," Diana stated to Anna, who was sitting to her right, while she pulled a sheet of paper from under the Amtide.

"We know there are four Chaos Gods: Eri, Efu, Oku, and Ehichapu.  
They came into existence inside of Yggdrasil through the accumulation of spirit fuel derived from the suffering of human beings. And they seek to perpetuate that suffering through the manipulation of people and elemental magic.  
The extent and exact nature of their powers are unknown to us at this time.

We know that the nine old witches fought them and managed to capture one of them. But what exactly happened doesn't seem to have been recorded anywhere."

"We already searched the Amtide for everything we could find on your ancestor and Luna Nova, but have you tried searching the Amtide for the names of the other members of the nine old witches?" Anna asked.

"We went through all the entries we could find on them," Banagher stated from his position in between Mary's and Diana's desk. "I suggested all the subjects I could think of in relation to each of the nine old witches. But we didn't find out much more than we already had."

"One would suppose that you would have some knowledge of the Chaos Gods yourself… from your time as a familiar to Beatrix Cavendish," Mary remarked to Banagher's chagrin without looking up from her book.

"I did witness my mistress prepare for a dangerous encounter. Unfortunately, I met my demise at the hands of a hunting party who took my horn before the nine old witches engaged the Chaos Gods," The bone-white unicorn stated with a short neigh.

"How unfortunate," Came the disinterested answer as the witch with the red sash in her blue hair directed her attention toward Anne Finnelan. "But we did learn that the creature that murdered all those people in the magiconstruct isolation ward at that Baghdad hospital might very well be Eri."

Diana heard a few boisterous knocks on the door and got up from her seat to open it.

"Hello everyone," Wangari called as she came in. "Is Akko here," The witch with the big orange hair asked while looking around.

Then her eyes landed on Banhager who was still standing next to the Amtide.

"I'm afraid Akko isn't here," Diana stated as she closed the door and turned toward the Kenyan who walked up to her familiar. "She was practicing her meditation on a bench at the west side of the school and was being visited by Amanda and Filiz's group a quarter of an hour ago."

"Well, it's not that important. I can ask her later," Wangari grinned and turned her attention back to the Unicron next to her.

"Hello… Banagher is your name, isn't it?"

"And what is your name?" The unicorn asked in a very pleased tone.

"The name is Wangari Maina," The Kenyan smiled, standing with her arms akimbo. "It is an honor to be able to meet with the familiar to the great Beatrix Cavendish. The rest of us rarely even get to see you from afar. Mary and Diana guard you so jealousy."

"As you well know, Wangari," Diana authoritatively spoke while she sat down at her desk again. "It is of vital importance for a familiar not to have interaction with too many people when he or she is building the bond with their mistress. You will all get to make Banagher's acquaintance in due time."

"Yes. This time next year, judging from appearances," The Kenyan rolled her eyes and stole peek after peek at the Amtide and the sheet of paper lying on top of it while everyone's attention was diverted by the subject of dispute.

"I'm not concerned about the strength of our bond myself," Banagher addressed his mistress in a warm, kind tone. "I was your ancestor's familiar, so I already established a bond with your family. My more personal bond with you will be established quickly.

And I admit I am starting to experience these restrictive measures as somewhat confining. I am sincerely grateful for being to run in a gallop with you two times a day, but I would very much enjoy seeing some more faces."

"Unfortunately pursuing what we desire doesn't always produce the best results for us… or others," Mary interjected, exchanging a hard look with the unicorn who took a few steps toward her.

"Hey!" Wangari involuntarily exclaimed as she openly stared at the sheet of paper Diana and Anne were looking at. "Is this what you have been so engaged in? Oku… Eri… Those are Igbo words."

"Igbo?" Anne Finnelan turned her attention to her African pupil with piqued interest. "The language spoken in Nigeria?"

"There are theories that say all modern languages are ultimately related to Igbo," Diana remembered. "It would make sense for it to be the source of the Chaos Gods' names."

"I'm far from fluent in the language, but I do have a rough grammatical knowledge," The girl with the big orange hair declared as she stood looking over Diana's left shoulder. "I know Eri means eat or eaten…"

"Professor Finnelan? I was curious to know whether the Witches Council has any ideas on how they are going to deal with the creature that seems to be responsible for spreading that epidemic in the middle east," Mary interrupted her friend.

"That… is the creature you suspect to be Eri, isn't it, Diana?" Anne frowned as she looked from the blue-haired witch to her pensively looking protégé. "The Council sent a contingent of witches from the supernatural defense division to the area. That is all I have heard so far."

Banagher's bright eyes continued to return Mary's hard look and the unicorn curled his upper lip while the three other witches in the room bowed over Diana's summary.

"Very curious…" The unicorn slowly muttered.

"Eaten…" Diana ponderously repeated.

"I think Oku means burned," Wangari continued as she searched her brain with her right pointer finger touching her lower lip.

"Could we be finding a clue to possible individual magical powers or domains of the Chaos Gods," Anne Finnelan muttered. "Eaten… as in affected by microorganisms…? Burned….?"

"Yes," Wangari quietly stated while nodding her head. "Efu means empty. I'm sure of it."

"Empty… Anne muttered, a chilling sensation creeping on the brunette and the second year magic student sitting to her left as they exchanged glances."

"Empty like our bellies during this food shortage," Mary chuckled. "I'm so happy we were able to do our part in bringing spotted dragon bread to the people of Britain in order to put a halt to the famine-related deaths that were starting to occur. Even better that the Witches Council managed to convince the E.U. to start a program to grow the product and distribute it to the most needy."

Her words made Diana's heart beat faster. Tension was rising inside of the platinum-blonde witch.

"I can't… I don't know if I ever learned what Ehichapu means," Wangari sighed. "I wish I had more context. Something to help my memory."

"A theme the names have in common…" Anne pensively stated while trying to shut out what her brain was telling her. "Eaten... Empty... Burned…"

"Pestilence...!" Diana stated in a flat, trembling voice as she got up from her seat while her shaking fingers held onto the summary she had written. "Famine...!"

Wangari looked at the platinum-blonde witch who stared fearfully at the sheet of paper in her hands.  
Anne Finnelan tuned pale as she observed her protegé and knew that Diana was stating aloud what she had been afraid to acknowledge to herself.

"I think…." The Kenyan started while cold sweat formed on her forehead.

"War…!"

"I think Ehichapu might mean… Erased… "

"Death."

"Or Extinction," Mary haughtily spoke while staring hard at the grinning Banagher.

"The Witches Council needs to know of this at once!" Anne Finnelan nervously exclaimed. "The world is being threatened by creatures that want to bring forth the apocalypse."

"We'll go to Headmistress Holbrooke!" Diana excitedly said as she folded her summary inside the Amtide and carried the book with her while her teacher opened the door and walk past the guard from the supernatural defense division who was patroling the hallway.

Turning around, Banagher watched the brunette walk into the hallway followed by Diana and Wangari. But when the unicorn trotted toward the door it was slammed shut before him by a magic spell.

"You must be quite mad to keep antagonizing me like this," Banagher threateningly spoke as he turned to face the person responsible.

"Mad? Lucky me!" Mary giggled. "If people didn't do mad things they'd never get anything done.

Why don't you stay here with me?" The bluette suggested to the angrily neighing horse in a very disagreeable tone and with a very displeased expression from her position in the middle of the lime-green sofa. "I have some questions I want to ask you."

* * *

While Wangari followed Diana and Anne through the hallway on the third floor filled with dread and excitement about the scoop she had found she unexpectedly heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Wangari! Wangari! We have to release a special broadcast right away!" Her fellow Luna Nova News Network member Kimberly shouted.

Wangari turned around and saw the girl with the auburn bob run to her through the hallway with the dark oak timber framing and the plastered walls.

"You too?" The Kenyan asked in wonder. "We have to wait though…"

"You don't understand. This can't wait," Kimberly breathed. "This is the biggest story since the rejuvenation of Yggdrasil!"

"What are you talking about?" The reporter with the big orange hair asked with a frown.

"Wangari! Please come with us!" Diana called as she and Professor Finnelan ran up to their friend, having noticed that the Kenyan had stopped following them. "We need your help to explain what we discovered about the Chaos Gods."

"The Chaos Gods?" Kimberly frowned. "That's what I wanted to tell you," She said, addressing Wangari. "The Witches Council received word from Luna Negra that Emma Thomas and her roommates discovered that the Chaos Gods are the bringers of the apocalypse.

They researched old texts and old witch lore with the aim of discovering the causes of the epidemic in the Middle East and the famine in Europe. They discovered curious names and descriptions in ancient Nigerian folk tales and searched for those names in Luna Negra's Amtide."

Wangari, Diana, and Anne listened with open mouth how the Witches Council was already aware of what they had just discovered. As Kimberly told them everything she had learned they grew aware that there was nothing more they could do but hope earth's governments could work with the Council in order to stop the threats to humanity.

"That's how Emma and her friends established that the names of the Chaos Gods corresponded to creatures mentioned in ancient African myths which were later adapted into Christianity.

Witches around the world tried to fight these creatures at various moments in history. It seems that with the decline of magic across the world in the past knowledge of these creatures and those battles also was lost..."

 **Nela's voice:  
** **We all have a perfect rival.  
But it is important to find that perfect rival in time. Because a perfect rival will not wait for us, that would make them imperfect.  
Some people only find out who their perfect rival is when it is too late. By that time a sharp pang hits them hard because they know they have lost the competition without even getting a chance to compete.  
If you are too slow in finding out your perfect rival they might already have found you. And by the time you catch on, they will already have passed you by. **

* * *

The next Monday morning, Isabelle, Filiz, and Nela were walking through the timber-framed hallway with the plastered walls in their uniforms with the purple vest and skirt over a white shirt toward the stairs on their way to the first lesson of the day.

"Magic numerology..." Filiz modestly yawned with a hand before her mouth while walking next to Isabelle with a burgundy covered book under her left arm. "I think I'll read up on behavioral dragon psychology during class."

"You don't think Professor Badcock has anything to teach you anymore?" Isabelle asked.

"I'm not being arrogant if that's what you're insinuating," Filiz smiled. "But my knowledge about numerology reaches well into what is being taught in the third year. I can afford not paying my full attention to the lesson."

"Ooooow..."

The two young witches turned around with a frown to see what caused their friend to make such a sound.

"Ooow… I think you two better go ahead," Nela moaned while clutching her lower abdomen. "I've never had it this bad. I'm going to sit in the public toilet for a while and wait for the medicine to work."

"Aw…" Filiz grimaced. "My poor Nela. To suffer so. Remember when you had those terrible cramps, Isabelle?"

"I sure do. Hihihihihihi!" The girl with the purple bob and the yellow tinted uni-lens sunglasses giggled.

"Well…" Filiz smiled. "I hope the drugs kick in soon, yeah. See you later, Nela. We'll excuse you to Professor Badcock."

"Yes. Thank you," Her Czech friend moaned as she opened the door to the public lavatory and watched her friends turn the corner. "See you later."

Nela gently closed the door behind her and waited for about a minute while apologizing internally to Filiz for cheating.  
Then she quietly opened the door.  
The Czech listened and looked up and down the empty hallway. Then she ran back to her dorm room.

Filiz had been getting ahead of her in modern magic too much lately. Like Filiz, Nela was way ahead of her classmates when it came to Magic Numerology. She was even a little ahead on Filiz and had already studied that psychology book.

With her hand on the doorknob, the blonde thought to herself that if she could study for the first half of the class they would be on a par with one another again.

Then she opened the door and clearly saw Filiz with her back to the door teleporting away.

For a moment Nela was dumbstruck. Filiz was using a golem again, she realized. But why? Surely her friend wasn't...?

Then she realized that if she was going to answer that question she was going to have to act fast in order to trace the magical residue to the real Filiz's destination.

With a shimmer of blue dust, Nela made herself invisible and connected to the magical residue of her roommate's teleportation spell.

* * *

Instantly the witch with the long wavy blonde hair found herself in a vast and high tower, bathed in an unearthly green light. Nela quickly realized that she was inside the New Moon Tower.

She looked around at the alcoves in the surrounding wall stacked as high as she could see, wondering what her roommate was doing here.

Then she saw Filiz ascend the spiral staircase in the middle of the tower.

Carefully keeping her distance, Nela followed her friend while bitter feelings rose up within her.  
The staircase was long and it took them time to get to the floor Filiz stopped at.

Nela frustratedly wondered why the witch with the black ponytail would once again engage in activities she couldn't share with others.

Then she saw Filiz stop in front of a large round metal double door.

As Nela's rival raised her hand, the door turned around on itself and opened down the middle.

A large laboratory was visible to the Czech, and she heard a voice with an Italian accent greet Filiz a good morning before the circular door that had opened to her friend closed before her.

 **Nela's voice:**  
 **That is why I will never allow my perfect rival to walk on by with the idea that I am not good enough for her.  
We are equals, striving toward ever-higher levels of excellence in order to outdo each other, as we should.**

 **I have found you again, Filiz. Even though you pretend we never met before. And I promise that this time I will not let you pass me by only to meet me again when it suits you.**

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	10. Chapter 10

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

The 40 men and women who had maintained Muromtzevo castle for years waited patiently in the ornate but cold ballroom that would soon be prepared for the party at Christmas eve.

Princess Anastasia used to enjoy the Christmas balls her parents organized so much.

Olga felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she remembered the Princess dancing around with her father in her gilded blue dress while her mother cast a spell that caused golden dust to descend around them as they waltzed around the tables to the cheer of their friends.

How could someone take the life of a girl so sweet? The Princess had been troubled enough by her illness, but to have her life cut short so cruelly...

Olga's husband Dimitri placed a hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the moist cheek. He smiled at her, looking so handsome, dressed in his black tuxedo over a white shirt with his carefully brushed black hair and his gentle blue eyes. But Olga knew he too was nervous to hear what their new young mistress wanted to do for Christmas.

They had been working here for 25 years now.  
Olga was so relieved that when the new owners bought the castle she and her husband were both allowed to stay. Others hadn't been so lucky.

She looked around at the ornate gilded Bas-relief on the blue-gray walls, depicting the Imperial eagles among rose bushes over the wide arched windows and the white doors with their gilded frames.  
The ceiling was adorned by a large beautiful painting of Saint George slaying a dragon.

It truly was a wonderful house to work at.

The sounds of several footsteps were approaching. The other servants started to murmur among themselves, wondering what was going on.

Olga hemmed shortly in order to urge the others to maintain their dignity and stood proudly erect in her black shirt and skirt with her white apron. Her brown hair was neatly pinned up against the back of her head.

The droning footsteps came closer. They were just outside the double doors with the Dolgorukov crest painted upon it.

Then, with a bang, a tall brawny young man in a dark-blue suit opened either door to a handsome stout young woman with a short wavy blonde bob, dressed in a short blue dress with teal vest and blue pumps, who marched in at the helm of about 50 young men and women in dark-blue attire.

The new mistress of Muromtzevo castle walked in between the two rows of her staff which now grew nervous as her intimidating escort filed up behind them and on either side of them

Valentina Zhigunova comfortably seated herself in an orange corduroy upholstered fauteuil with oak armrests in front of her servants.

Olga and Dimitri exchanged a restless glance as their new young mistress took a moment to survey them all with a satisfied look in her eyes.

"I want to thank you all for so punctually obeying my summons," Valentina loudly stated in a clear imperious voice.

"I see before me a group of people who have grown accustomed to their position in a household that has seen little change for many years. You are all resident staff who have lived and served in this house in some cases for your entire career."

Olga was now certain that they had not been called into the ballroom for the purpose of listening to the plans their new mistress had for the Christmas ball.  
The mood among her colleagues became heavy as the tall blonde young woman in the fauteuil before them smiled coldly.

"The world is changing. And whether we choose to accept or oppose that change, we will have to evolve in order to successfully confront that brave new world.  
In order to do so, I and friends of mine have seen fit to repurpose this otherwise utterly useless isolated building.

This is why when I came of age I saw fit to buy this castle from my parents after they had acquired it not that long ago.

Unfortunately, in the plans I have for this place, I have no need for an extended household staff. So I am sorry to say that I am going to have to let you all find a new challenge in your life."

Ifunanya Obesere and Dacio Sousa grinned as they saw the effect their leader's speech had.

Olga, on the other hand, felt a sadness inside of her that reminded her of the day she saw the body of her dear mistress Anastasia at the wake.

She and her husband, and so many of her colleagues had served the Dolgorukov family since their return from the United Kingdom.

After the Princess's parents died they had been grateful that their young mistress was allowed by her guardians to keep up residence in the castle while she continued her education in Volch'ya Logovo lyceum.

Then, when the Princess had been murdered, being able to continue working in the castle for its new owners had been their last remaining bond to the kind people they had served with so much pleasure.

Now came the end of an era. They had expected it for a long while after all. They had been lucky to be allowed to work in the castle for so long.

"We understand, mistress," Olga bowed. "We are grateful to your family for allowing us to work here after our dear mistress died."

"Yes," Valentina smirked. "Then I expect you to gather your belongings and vacate the premises by eight o'clock this evening."

Olga was shocked. She was not the only one.

"By eight o'clock?!" Anatoly exclaimed. "But mistress! That is unlawful! We are due a two month's notice!"

"You are due?" Valentina coldly returned. "What does that have to do with me? You have received your last orders from me and I expect you to carry them out as usual."

"The Princess would never have…" Dimitry angrily started.

"Yes," Valentina interrupted. "I know my spoiled classmate spoiled you quite as much as you did her. You should be grateful to me for allowing you to challenge yourself in the real world instead of withering away in this dull excuse for a work-environment."

Dacio?" The young woman with the short wavy bob addressed her Brazilian former classmate with the shoulder-length black hair. "Kindly ensure that my servant's apartments are empty by this evening so that we can commence the refurbishment according to our instructions by tomorrow."

Olga turned around and saw the muscular young man nod and share a comprehensive look with the other blue-clad young people surrounding her and her colleagues.

Valentina got up from her seat and walked towards the door.

"Mistress Valentina!" Vasily, the gardener, suddenly exclaimed. "You are fufian! I can feel it! How can you do such a thing?!"

None of his colleagues comprehended what he was talking about. Some whispered something about tea.

Valentina looked the man in the eyes for a moment. Then she tilted her head and held his chin in her left hand.

"I know that you think that should make a difference, good man…" She smiled coldly. "luckily we have discovered that it doesn't have to."

While Vasily stood frozen as if he had seen a monster Valentina casually continued her stride out of the ballroom.

Her henchman started to roughly goad the staff into action.

"Miss Valentina!" Olga finally cried out. "Please give us until the end of the year. It is nearly Christmas!"

To her surprise, the stout blonde chuckled amusedly for about half a minute.

Then Valentina threw a glance over her shoulder, looking elegant and sophisticated.

"Christmas… ?" She grinned as if she was holding her laughter because of an amusing joke. "Bah! Humbug."

* * *

"So…" Frank began as he sat on the green duvet that covered his bed and observed how focussed Andrew was preparing his suitcase. "I heard investigators of the Witches Council's department of order and protection interviewed your fiancee."

"You are rather late to hear about that," His friend in the black tuxedo over a white shirt with a red tie calmly remarked. "They talked to her a few weeks ago. They apparently thought she could provide them with information that would get them close to finding out the identity of that horrible serial killer, but she regretted not being able to provide meaningful answers to their questions."

"Right," Frank said. "I heard about that. I was worried they might have suspicions about her."

"I wish I could say they do. If they did they might have prevented her from working out the foolishness she has gotten into her head," Andrew answered in an irritated voice.

Frank sighed quietly as he watched his friend and roommate fold a piano fake book into his suitcase.  
He placed his hands on his dark-blue trousers and got up to pace around the room.

Opposite the wall that the heads of his and Andrew's beds were positioned against were their oaken desks and the book-cases with their study books, novels and some CDs of Andrew's.  
In the middle of the room was a small square table with four chairs at which they would sometimes sit with friends to have a chat or at which Frank would read a book while Andrew played on the piano which was lined up against the wall that separated their room from the hallway.

Frank walked towards the large window with the green curtains opposite the door.  
Outside the snow that had fallen the evening before was still lying beautiful and peaceful, waiting for the chaos that would soon ensue.  
A flock of black crows were the only creatures that were as yet braving what was waiting for all of them. The defiant leader of the flock seemingly looking up straight into Frank's eyes.

"She's something isn't she?" The young man with the big blonde hair reflected. "To be honest, when you first told me about your engagement I thought it wouldn't last a month. I didn't even understand why the two of you would want to get engaged so soon. Neither of you has even graduated yet."

"What are you trying to say, Frank?" Andrew sighed as he sat upon his bed after having placed his packed suitcase next to the door.

"You know?" The future head of the Spencer household spoke without turning away from the window. "I would never have pictured me with Hanna England a year ago.  
When we visited Luna Nova last year I was enchanted by her friend Lotte. I didn't even pay much attention to Hannah.  
But when the two of us started to interact more with those witches Hannah and I just grew closer and closer.  
It's like the sharp edges of our personalities instead of clashing fitted together like a jagged puzzle.

I realize now that is exactly the way it must be for you two. Instead of constantly butting heads as I expected you to with your stubborn personalities you somehow made it work… Until now."

Andrew sighed deeply as his friend finally turned to face him.

"I suppose we are having our first lover's row," The young man with the smoothly brushed brown hair admitted. "I don't like how she pushes herself.  
She carries so much pressure and so much expectation. I know exactly how that feels.  
But instead of drawing her boundaries as she encourages me to do she takes on more responsibility to the point of endangering her life!"

Frank Spencer recoiled somewhat as his otherwise so composed friend raised his voice to him for probably the first time since he got to know him.

"I apologize," Andrew clearly stated. "I'm afraid I am too agitated to..."

"Your girlfriend isn't the kind of young woman who is going to be content to lead a quiet life, Andrew," Frank smiled at his friend.  
"I told you this when I met her. She is a girl with an unbendable will and awe-inspiring talent.  
She is like a modern Queen Elizabeth or Catherine The Great.  
You can't expect such a girl to live a safe life.  
I can tell that you love her dearly. But you will have to make your peace with the fact that she will do as she sees fit."

"Yes… I know that," Andrew grimaced and exhaled shortly while pulling the engagement ring that hung around his neck from underneath his shirt.  
"But when she so stubbornly risks her life against inconceivable danger despite all of my pleadings… Such a thing hurts, Frank.  
Even when she ensures me that she will be in the company of able women and that she is aware of her limits and that she will be careful.

I am aware that she is doing this to save numerous human lives… But I don't want her to perish in the process."

"You know I am entirely sympathetic to that, Andrew," Frank said with a serious look on his face. "And I think the two of you should find a middle ground where you can compromise in the future...  
But these seem to be becoming dangerous times. Not just for witches, but for everyone.  
If what you and Hannah told me is true we might all be in grave danger. And if so, rather than worrying for your fianceé, I much prefer to trust in her talent and her mental strength to help save the day."

Andrew looked up into the unusually stern and determined hazel eyes of his best friend feeling suddenly ashamed for his selfish fears.  
Their recent confrontation had made him realize he much he had come to love his girlfriend.  
Most dearly did he love her. And he was not ready to part with her in any way. In fact, he could not picture himself ever being ready to do that. He was convinced he had found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

But Frank was right: Fearful days were ahead. And only the witches who were the guardians of this world would be able to stand against the dangers he had been made aware of.  
So rather than constrain his fianceé with his fears and frustration. He should trust in her and support her through the danger she was about to oppose.

"Thank you, Frank," Andrew Hanbridge said as he got up and walked over to his friend to shake his hand.  
"You are right. I have been allowing worry to rule me. What Emma is about to do, if successful, is most important.  
Right now she needs all of my support and I haven't been able to provide her with that support because I was not able to see past my personal concerns. You have aided me in seeing reason as usual."

Frank watched his friend turn and take his cellphone from his vest pocket while standing proudly erect next to his suitcase.

"So… are you going to tell her you changed your mind and want to spend Christmas together before she joins the supernatural defense division on their mission?"

Andrew gladly returned the smile of his best friend as the speed-dial of his cellphone rang the number programmed into it. But he couldn't help that contrary part of his nature and felt urged to play one last trick in this matter.

His smile slowly changed into a sly smirk.

"No comment," He grinned while his heart thumped as he heard the person on the other end of the line greet him in a clear and warm voice.

* * *

Akko breathed calmly in and out while sitting with her eyes closed in the lotus position in the middle of Chariot's old room. Now Professor Cloé's room.

She felt completely at peace. Aware of her position relative to the rest of the world she could sense herself exist in the multiple dimensions that made up reality.

The spell she was going to use held no more secrets for her. After studying it for multiple days she had internalized the words, their meaning, and the way they functioned.

"I am ready," The brunette said with utter confidence.

"Alright then," The voice of her tutor and teacher came from her left. "I want you to concentrate on the ticking of the clock."

Akko did as she was asked and listened intently to the sound the dial made every second. She was aware of the intervals and even the sharp strokes stretching out for milliseconds.

"Become aware of the elements that influence how you perceive time. Time as a subject is not the same as time as an object. You should be aware of the difference by now."

Just as during their long preparation for this exercise the Japanese witch emotionally and intellectually distanced herself from her position relative to the passage of time. She now ignored the sounds of the clock. Instead of being aware of the time observed by the clock she experienced time as the constant transition from one moment to the next.

A transition that was a constant reality throughout the universe. A transition that was part of who she was and made herself part of the universe.

"What you are about to do is not stop or "freeze" time. You are going to disconnect yourself from the rest of the universe. You will step outside the flow of time and by using your own life force to live independently from the rest of the universe for a few seconds you will become the closest a person can come to being a God."

Akko concentrated on what made her part of the universe. She was aware of the multiple dimensions. She was aware of the inconceivable stretches of space around her, the earth, the solar system, the milky way, the cluster, beyond…

She became aware of the passage of time in her own body.

The Japanese witch slowly opened her eyes and looked at the grandfather's clock with the oak-leaf and cuckoo decorations.

Without pronouncing it, without moving a muscle, she used the spell and watched the dials stop moving.

'One… Two…'

Frozen dust particles and sunlight produced a strange pixelated vision of the room she was sitting in.

'Three'

Professor Cloé, who sat on her wooden chair with folded arms and her eyes on Akko looked equally pixelated and glowed with magical energy.

'Four…'

The walls of the room seemed translucent and although a light was visible behind them, the entire room, the objects in it, the air, and even the light itself was pervaded through and through by a pure and solid blackness.

'Five… Six…'

Professor Cloé had told her about the blackness and the sensation of being a part of it but being billions of individual things at the same time. The feeling of being disconnected from the vast existence that was reality while being inextricably formed by it. In magic philosophy it was called the All-form.

'Seven…'

Akko sensed how the All-form observed her from inside every particle that made up her body. The Japanese witch understood what Professor Chloé had meant when she said this was the closest thing a human being could come to being a God. It was as if she was having communion with an inconceivable and limitless presence.

'Eight…'

But the All-form was something far greater and complex than anything comprehended in the term God. Akko felt it take possession of her. It was a growing sensation of intense pain. As if she was drowning. As if she was being burned alive. As if she was being crushed to death. As if every part of her was being disintegrated.

'Nine… Ten… '

But just as Diana and Mary had assured her would be the case she wasn't even able to be afraid. Somehow she felt comforted and sheltered while the All-form forcefully and painfully reassimilated her into reality in spite of her best efforts to resist.

"Eleven."

Time was flowing as usual again.

Akko blinked and looked her teacher in the eyes.

A slight grin appeared on the face of the woman with the short sandy blonde hair.

"Roughly eleven seconds? That's quite impressive."

"Yeah," Akko relaxed as she got up and moved her arms and legs about. "But I couldn't move the whole time. Couldn't even count out loud."

"That was entirely within expectations. I told you that this would only serve as a test to get an idea of what happens when you "freeze" time. When the third semester starts we will start training your skill with this spell in earnest.  
Until that time I expect you to keep practicing your meditation," Chloé Thiry told her pupil while standing up from her chair.

"Yes, Professor Chloé," Akko grimaced with grudging acceptance.

"I am aware that I have been laying claim to much of your time," Her teacher said while looking pointedly at the Japanese witch.  
"But you must be aware that you cannot regard your endeavor to study magic as a purely personal goal anymore.  
Even outside of the magical community many people around the world consider you among the most influential individuals of our time, Atsuko Kagari."

Akko swallowed as the truth of her slender Belgian teacher's words hit her.

"The world has changed, Akko. And you are in great part responsible for that change. A lot of developments are underway that hinge upon the things you have done and the things very important people still expect from you.

Nobody will begrudge you the desire to have fun once in a while, but it is equally true that you have to understand the following to be true: the days of your childhood are over and the days of your adulthood have begun.

A major role is laid aside for you in the future of our people. While it is true that I took pleasure in the chance to teach at my alma mater when the opportunity was offered to me, the real reason I was brought here is because I was seen as the person most fitting to prepare you for your future responsibilities as a figurehead of the magical community."

"In a minute you are going to tell me I will be prepped as the next Witches Council President," Akko chuckled.

"I would not rule out the possibility if I were you," Chloé kindly smiled.

"What?!" Akko crossed her eyes. "Don't those important people you are talking about consider that such a role would be better suited to the likes of Diana or Emma Thomas?"

"Those are the obvious choices, yes," The slender blonde with the trout-shaped hairpin smiled. "But here is the thing about politics: Powerful people don't always like to see other powerful and capable people in high places.

With a person like Emma Thomas as Witches Council President, the magical community would certainly become a force to be reckoned with, but such a forceful leader might not be in the best interest of the world or the magical community at this time.

Such a person might also too often find resistance to her way of working.  
Diana is seen as fiercely principled. Emma is seen as headstrong and overly ambitious. Their reputation might often become an obstacle to accomplishing their goals.

While you, on the other hand, have a reputation for being stubborn you are paradoxically considered acquiescent and easily influenced in matters that don't interest you.  
While that does sound a little insulting it can be quite advantageous for a leader to be seen as a person who is open to political compromise.

People are aware of how much progress you have been making in your studies since last year.  
The competent way in which you have been dealing with your fame and the girls who seek your approval has not gone unnoticed either, Akko."

"Well... Filiz and Nela have taken a lot of that attention on themselves since the school year began," Akko smiled and stretched as she watched her tutor take a packet from the cabinet by her desk and turn around.

"That is true," Chloé agreed with a tilt of her head. "And Filiz is being taken into consideration for a very important role herself. Especially after how she handled herself against that mysterious armored witch.  
But that is none of our concern at the moment.

I would like you to consider these an early Christmas present. But I urge you to actually read them over the holidays and not to return them to the shop for a refund," Akko's teacher grinned as she handed her a large packet wrapped in Christmas themed wrapping paper.

The Japanese witch took the packet to the desk and carefully opened it. One by one she read the covers of the books she was receiving.

"Aristotle's Politics… The Prince… The wealth of nations… Thomas Ferguson: Golden Rule."

She looked up at her teacher considering the money spent on the presents and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you very much, Miss Thiry. I know I seem annoyed at the homework you give me sometimes, but I assure you that I am grateful for the effort you put into my education.  
The adoration and the drive of girls like Nela and Filiz have kept me aware of how important I am to so many girls who have started their education at magic schools this year. And I am aware that in these frightening times the magic community and the world look for someone to give them hope.

So more than ever I wish to do what Chariot would do in my place and I will put every effort into becoming that hope for everyone!" Akko exclaimed as she raised her fist with vigor.

"That is very good, Akko," Chloé smiled. "But I already know that you are working very diligently. So, by all means, make sure you make time to relax and have fun with your friends as well.  
You told me that you will not go home during the autumn break. So I am sure you have lots of things planned? "

"We sure have!" Akko grinned while leaning her left hand against her thigh.  
"First of all, we are going to decorate the big Christmas tree in the courtyard together tomorrow.  
We are also going to visit Blytonbury's Christmas fair with a whole bunch of girls. Thomas, a friend of ours told us to visit his family's cider stand especially.  
On Christmas Eve we are going to attend the midnight mass in the church of Our Lady St Mary.  
And on St. Thomas day we are going caroling and handing out spotted dragon bread cookies that Jasminka, Blair, and Constanze cooked up, but I don't really know when that is yet," The brunette grimaced confusedly.

Chloé Thiry laughed heartily at her pupil's ignorance.

"St. Thomas day is the 21st of December," The slender blonde said. "You'll go caroling this Saturday."

"Thanks," Akko chuckled. "You Catholics have so many Saint-days. It's a little intimidating for someone like me."

"Really?" Chloé good-humorously raised an eyebrow. "It's not that different from Japan's many Kami. But I'm not a religious person myself. I just know the date from my calendar."

Akko turned to look at the door behind her as she recognized Diana's gentle rattle.

"Come in!" Her teacher called.

The door opened slowly and to Akko's surprise, her friend was in the company of Chief Commissioner Karabo Mahlangu who stood beside her in her light-blue tunic.

"Am I too early?" The tall woman with the cornrow buns asked polity with an inquisitive look at Akko's teacher.

"Not at all. We just finished. Come on in, Chief Commissioner," Chloé Thiry warmly invited.

"Thank you," Karabo Mahlangu smiled and bowed her head as she walked into the room. "Good evening, Miss Kagari," She greeted Akko with a kind smile.

"Good evening, Commissioner Mahlangu," Akko smiled. "Hey, Diana," She smiled even more cheerfully. "You didn't have to come and fetch me."

"I am well aware that you can find our room on your own of course, but I was curious how the lesson went," The platinum-blonde witch blushed almost imperceptibly.

"Hahaha. Everything went great. Professor Thiry told me…"

"Akko?"

"Huh?" The brunette turned around and looked at the two women standing behind her.

"I'm sorry, but Commissioner Karabo and I have some private matters to discuss. Can the two of you leave us, please?" Chloé Thiry asked.

"I'm sorry, girls. But it's getting late and I have a lot of questions to ask your teacher here," Karabo Mahlangu grinned while rubbing the back of her head. "Might have to go bad cop on her. You know how it is."

Akko saw her teacher looking up with raised eyebrows at the woman standing next to her.

"Please don't make risqué jokes that could lead my students to think that we are more acquainted than we are, Chief Commissioner."

"Hahaha. I'm sorry," The tall black woman laughed. "I didn't mean any harm. But we do need to get started with the interview now, young ladies," She winked at Akko and Diana.

"Okay, professor Thiry and Chief Commissioner Mahlangu. We'll be out of your way," Akko smiled as she picked up her books, quickly joined her friend and closed the door.

"What are those?" Diana asked as she looked at the books her friend was carrying while she walked to her left through the crimson-carpeted hallway with the oak-paneled walls toward their room.

"Professor Thiry wants me to read these because she wants to prepare me for an important function in the magical community," Akko grimaced.

"The wealth of nations," Her friend read on one of the books the Japanese witch was hauling along.

"Do you know at what time we'll go caroling Saturday?" Akko inquired.

"11 o'clock, Mary said. We'll meet at the front gate and go to Blytonbury Saturday market from there where we'll start our tour," Diana smiled. "Mary and Filiz mapped out our route through town."

"I'm looking forward to it," Her friend cheerfully exclaimed as they passed a corner where a witch from the department of order and protection was standing guard. "It's been a while since I had a chance to sing out loud."

Diana burst out in a loud giggle.

"What are you laughing for?" Akko asked with a frown.

"I remember… Hihihihi… our karaoke visit when we visited your parents," The Brit laughed.

"What about it?" The Japanese witch growled.

Diana peeked at her friend from between her fingers and giggled again until she was able to regain her composure.

"I like how you put all of your soul into it when you sing, Akko," She answered at last, looking in front of her. "I look forward to Saturday. I know we will have a lot of fun together."

"Yes," Akko smiled brightly up at her friend. "I know we will."

Diana looked back at her friend and returned her smile. Both girls feeling blissfully comfortable in each other's company. Both of them wishing that they could spend the rest of their lives together.

* * *

Sola looked frantically up and down the street as she navigated the warmly clothed people who were gathering around the stalls with ceramics and scented candles.  
She had only lingered for a moment, looking at the Morris dancers. How could she have lost sight of everyone else in that tiny minute?

The diminutive Icelandic redhead in the green duffel coat ran back towards the street corner where the Morris dancers were still performing and bumped into a large man wearing a dark-grey coat and his wife who was dressed in a long orange dress with a red vest.

"Hey! You little devil!" The man complained as he roughly grabbed Sola by the arm. "What do you think you are doing, running into me?"

In all fairness, the man had seen the little redhead coming from a mile away while Sola had not seen him coming. He could have stepped out of the way with his wife, but he felt that the gloomy strange-looking girl should have given him right of way.

"I… I'm sorry. I lost my friends," Sola panickedly apologized before trying to continue her search. The man, however, stubbornly retained his grip on the young witch.

"How can you lose something you don't have?" The woman laughed exaggeratedly at her strange joke. "You're such a strange gloomy pale little thing. Maybe your friends ran away from you?"

"T… They w…!" Sola hurriedly tried to comment.

"Huh? Are you trying to be cheeky to my wife? You can apologize this instant, you scummy little brat!"

Sola couldn't believe her bad luck. She knew she shouldn't have joined the others for this Christmas fair visit. She had lost everyone and now these horrible people were bullying her. The young witch was close to tears.

"I… I'm sorry. Please let m… me go."

"Let you go?" The man shook her hard. "I'll bloody well let you go when I feel like it."

"Sola," A frightening voice behind the Icelandic witch suddenly spoke. "Are you getting yourself into trouble again. I can't believe your bad manners. I apologize for her conduct, sir."

"That's alright, young woman," The fat man laughed as Sola, now released, turned around to see Sophia Demertzis, Abigail Laime, and Lely Makhlouf grin at her. "I'm glad she has someone to teach her some manners, right?"

"She sure needs them!" Lely laughed together with the man's wife.

"You should take an example of your friend," The sharp-nosed woman grinned viciously as she flicked a terrified Sola against the left ear. "She's a foreigner, but she has better manners than you. Come on, Mark. Let's get to the Assembly Rooms Market already."

Sola tried to slip away while the couple walked off and waved at Sophia who was dressed in black trousers and a grey coat, but the Greek had her victim in her sight.

"Hey, little rabbit. Where do you think you are going," The great burly girl threateningly asked.

"We were thinking you might want to spend some time with us," Lely, who was dressed in a dark-blue jilbab said as she linked her left arm with Sola's right. "There are a few conga players over there. It would be very funny if you would dance to them for us."

"I don…"

"You don't wanna dance?" Abigail, who was dressed in a flashy red polyester coat over grey trousers, asked with raised eyebrows. "I think you're just shy. Come on, let's get over there and you'll feel the rhythm move you in no time."

Sophia and Abigail laughed heartily as the Peruvian girl with the three gold and silver beaded hair locks behind her right ear helped her Syrian friend push the distressed little redhead forward.

When they came near the conga players who were entertaining a small group of dancing people they unintentionally ran into Akko, wearing an orange coat with a blue shawl, who was pulling Diana, who was dressed in a long blue dress with a dark-blue overcoat, along with her into the dancing crowd.

Greeting the brunette cheerfully Sophia took Sola by the arms and rhythmically moved her left and right while her two friends danced around them, laughing heartily at how the large Greek was handling the redhead like a ragdoll.

"Are you having a good time, little rabbit?" The silver-haired witch laughed as her victim closed her eyes, trying to shut out the cruelty and humiliation.

Lely saw Rajani in a black cotton coat and trousers and Rashmi in an orange cotton coat over a black winter dress who had been looking around for their friend turn into their direction after spotting Sola among the people dancing to the conga music.  
Sophia spotted them too and instantly released the Icelandic girl while dancing with vigor alongside her friends.

"Hey, Sola!" Rajani exclaimed as she and her sister embraced their former roommate warmly. "We're so sorry for losing sight of you."

"Yes. We're really sorry. We know you don't like crowds," Rashmi said in a gentle tone of voice.

"Hey! What's wrong with your friend?" A joyfully dancing twenty-something punk said while giving Sola a push against the back. "She should be dancing!"

"Rashmi's eyes shot fire at the young man and the next instant he fell on the floor with his face in a dog's turd that wasn't there a second before.

"Come, we'll go to the vintage car display a little up ahead," Rajani soothed, seeing that her friend was breathing agitatedly and looking at the floor. "It's a bit quieter over there."

"Let's go home if you're having no fun anymore, Sola?" Rashmi asked. "I've pretty much seen it here. I could go for some hot cocoa in Luna Nova cafeteria and then we can read a book together in my room."

Meanwhile, Filiz, who was wearing a purple rain-jacket over bronze-colored trousers and attracted much attention with her belly dancing nearly bumped into Lely and Sophia.

"This is so much fun! Are you having fun, Sophia?" The blackette with the short ponytail laughed.

"I sure am," The large Greek in the black trousers and the grey coat chuckled viciously while smiling at the two Indian sisters who glared hatefully back at her.

"I told you that you would," Her Japanese classmate said as she swayed her body rhythmically to the music. "And thiiings can only get beteeeer, now I found you!"

Nela stared angrily back at her grinning roommate who danced sensually in front of her and turned around while playfully bumping her body.

"You have some nerve," The blonde, who was dressed in a bronze cardigan over dark-brown trousers, growled. "As if you made any effort to find me."

"Whatever is the matter, Nela?" Filiz demanded in an exasperated voice while continuing her dance. "You've been in a foul mood for over a week now, yeah."

"Huh?"

Akko, left by Diana who had joined Barbara and Lotte in watching the stalls, walked up on the two roommates in her orange coat and black jeans.

"Are the two of you fighting again?" The brunette asked with a teasing smirk. "You were doing so well lately."

"Well, I thought the same thing, Akko," Nela said with an angry look. "But it seems Filiz thinks I am beneath her. After tolerating all of her secrets, thinking silence created a bond between us, it seems Filiz decided to move ahead without me!"

The ponytailed blackette now stood still, taking her friend's outrage with a hurt expression.

"Nela… I never thought you are beneath me," She earnestly said.

"I can never trust you again," The Czech stated sharply.

"Come on, Nela. Don't be so hostile. You can talk this through and make up. It's nearly Christmas, you know?" Akko tried with a hopeful smile.

"Christmas?" Nela laughed. "Akko, if you knew about the real Filiz you wouldn't believe in anything ever again. I am going back to our room and study up on modern magic.  
You are welcome to join me if you sincerely want to honor your promise!" She angrily exclaimed whit a look towards Filiz as she walked in the direction Sola and her friends had walked off to.

"But I am the real Filiz…" Her Japanese roommate sadly muttered.

"Don't worry, Filiz," Akko comforted while rubbing her number one fan over the left shoulder as they walked towards Diana and the others who were gathered around a stall that sold handcrafted palm-sized fairies. "She'll come around."

"Yeah… You know what? I'm going to run after her and we'll talk this through," The blackette smiled. "But first I need a present."

"Do you like these?" Frank asked Hannah, seeing his girlfriend admire the handmade fairies displayed on the stall they were visiting while holding her hand.

Akko watched the couple in the beige tuxedo and the salmon pink dress with a burgundy overcoat and walked up close to Diana who stood behind Barbara and Lotte in her blue dress and matching overcoat.

"Are you buying one for me?" Hannah smiled up at Frank. "I like the one in the turquoise dress. She's so beautiful."

"Hahaha!" Lotte chuckled. "She's smiling at your compliment. She seems to be a little proud."

"That's no real fairy, girls," A jolly man in a thick orange sweater who stood next to the Fin in the sky-blue polyester winter coat over dark-blue trousers and her girlfriend, who was wearing a brown cotton jacket over a blue short skirt and grey leggings, laughed. "But I agree they do appear to be smiling.

"I know it's not real," Lotte kindly smiled up at the man while Barbara embraced her from behind. "I meant that the fairy within the figure is smiling."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The man asked while scratching the dark-blonde hair on his head.

"These girls are all witches," Frank explained after paying the young woman with the long black hair in the thick red hoodied duffel coat who manned the stall. "They can see the fairies that inhabit various crafted products."

"And my girlfriend has a deeper connection with the fairies than any of us," Barbara said. "While crafting these figures, the love and attention this woman put into them created magical life into them in the form of fairies."

"That's exactly right," Lotte smiled and kissed Barbara on the cheek.

"So I created life while making these?" The young woman behind the stall asked with a wondrous expression on her face.

"That's right," Diana said. "And it is true for male craftsmen as well. Every time you create something your magical energy will create a fairy that will consider the product its home."

"Can I buy these three?" Filiz asked the woman who was returning Diana's smile while pointing at three fairies who were sitting together on the fork of a large branch that served as a display. "They look like they don't want to be separated. My roommates and me will take good care of them."

The young woman was taken aback for a moment now that she suddenly realized what she was selling. but she quickly realized that it had never been any different, and the girl asking her seemed to sincerely desire to share the magic she had created with her friends.

So she happily sold Filiz the three beautiful fairies whom the blackette instantly took with her inside a cardboard box in pursuit of Nela.

Sometime later, Rashmi, Rajani, and Sóla bumped into Wangari and Amanda at the vintage car display.

The Kenyan in the blue jeans and the brown jacket seemed in extremely high spirits as she ran up to her friends as soon as she spotted them.

"I can study journalism at university!" Wangari sang as she stole the little redhead in the green duffel coat from her former roommates and danced her around. "I'm so happy, Sola! You have to go with me! We'll go to Cardiff University together and work for BBC World later!"

Sola couldn't help but feel elated after the painful experience she had gone through earlier and the girl with the onion-shaped hairdo smiled back at the witch with the big orange hairdo who for some reason had adopted her into her dream and made her share her pleasure in informing others.

As they danced together, the smiling faces of Rajani in her black cotton coat and trousers, Rashmi in her orange cotton coat over a black winter dress, and Amanda in a beige leather jacket and pink shirt over brown trousers passed in front of Sola's vision again and again.

"What happened all of a sudden?" Rajani asked Amanda.

"It's the strangest thing," The American said. "She burst into our room suddenly after having gone out to talk with her parents over the phone and exclaimed that they told her they had come to better understand her desire to become a journalist.  
Apparently they are allowing her to study journalism after her education at Luna Nova is over and they will even support her in pursuing a career in journalism afterward."

"Is she sure those were her real parents she was talking to?" Rashmi raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the story she was hearing.

"Hahaha! I asked them fourteen times whether they hadn't accidentally cast a spell over themselves," Wangari, who had stopped dancing Sola around, laughed. "They sounded so mellow.  
At about the tenth time father scolded me for being disrespectful and mother told me she'd box my ears when I visited during summer break for my insolence. So that's how I knew they were the real deal.  
I can finally follow my dreams! I'm so happy."

Wangari's friends watched the beaming Kenyan with amusement.

"The only condition they had is that I would go to the new Magic University the Witches Council is building in Romania four years before they retire and take over the magic shop after graduating. It's the least I can do," The girl in the blue jeans and the brown jacket smiled.

"So after telling me that, she pulled me up from my bed and told me we have to go join you at the fair to celebrate," Amanda added with a grin.

"Well…" Rashmi said. "We were actually heading back to school after getting a little bored with the fair. And Sola was being bullied by that first-year, Sophia and her friends."

"Were they at it again?" Amanda asked her bashful Icelandic friend with an annoyed look. "I can't believe that girl! Over a month ago she told me she would leave Sola alone. But since about a week ago she and her friends have been constantly intimidating her and challenging me."

"I know," Wangari said. "Sophia, Lely, and Abigail are bad news. They're making it all appear like a big joke to other girls who stand by and laugh whenever they get the chance to humiliate Sola."

"I've talked to Filiz and Isabelle about this," Amanda said. "They seem to have more authority among the first-years than the teachers. But now those bullies are just being more sneaky about it."

"Then we gotta talk to them again!" Rajani angrily decided. "If I know Filiz she won't idly stand by and let this continue. She and Nela just ran past us about ten minutes ago. We'll go back to school and ask them to keep an eye out on those bullies!"

"I don't know if now is such a good time to appeal to them though," Rashmi said. "They seemed like they were having a bit of a row."

"Then we'll talk to them tomorrow," Amanda said in a determined voice. "But one thing we won't be doing is giving in to bullies. You may have had to suffer these disgusting crimes on your own before, Sola, but you are not alone now. We are your friends and we will always stand by you."

Sola slowly looked up from the floor to Amanda. Looking into her friend's beautiful teal eyes she felt her heart beat with several feelings. It was uncomfortable and scary. But she knew Amanda meant what she said, and that made her feel a strength inside of her that was never there before.

"If you want to go back to school I will go with you without protest, Sola," Amanda smiled. "But if you will come with me we will help you reclaim this Christmas fair and this day for the list of fun memories you made."

Amanda held out a hand. A handsome strong hand. Sola looked up from the hand to her friend's kind face and returned her smile.  
As she took Amanda's hand in hers the diminutive red-haired witch answered: "I will go with you, Amanda."

"Bye-bye, blues. The sun is shining, no more whining…"

Akko was standing at the cider stall Thomas and his father were manning in her orange coat and blue shawl over black jeans together with Frank, Diana, Constanze, and Jasminka while Sophia, Lely, and Abigail were dancing among the other Christmas fair visitors to the music of a colorful jazz band dressed up as a bunch of ragged cowboys on a raised yellow stage decorated with red dragon faces and serpentines.

Meanwhile, Barbara was advancing on her former roommate in her brown cotton jacket and blue short skirt over grey leggings.

The redhead with the yellow ribbon through her hair and the burgundy overcoat over a salmon pink dress regarded her former roommate timidly and leaned nearly trembling against the side of the wooden stage as the blackette slowly approached leaning forward with a mischievous look and her hands leisurely folded behind her back.

Hannah blushed wildly as Barbara threateningly pushed her into a wall-block

"How about a kiss, Hannah?" The blackette asked her panickedly sweating friend while taking the girl's chin between the thumb and pointer finger of her right hand with a devious grin.

"But… but… Lotte is standing right there, watching the band!" The redhead bashfully blushed.

"Huh?!" Barbara frowned in surprise. "Don't be stupid. I'm talking about you and Frank," She sighed as she let go of the relieved redhead she had aggressively pressed up against the side of the stage. "Why are the two of you being so innocent with each other?"

Hannah watched her friend look disapprovingly at her while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It's Christmas! This is a time for romance! Lotte and me are kissing and hugging all the time," The blackette stated.

"Well, we are different," Hannah blushed while looking annoyedly. "Kissing and hugging in public is embarrassing to me. We will enjoy each other's company in private when we get back to school."

"That is a very bad strategy to adopt with boys, you know," Barbara protested. "If you keep them excited until you find yourselves alone you'll have a hell of a time keeping them from wanting to go further and further."

"And what do you know about boys, Barbara Parker?" Hannah huffed.

"I… I don't from experience," The girl in the brown jacket and the blue skirt stammered. "But this is a thing anyone should know."

"Well, don't worry about me," Hannah quietly said. "Frank does possess the self-control most boys his age are so severely lacking in. "He won't ask me to go further than I am willing to go. We've talked about these things at length and agreed on certain rules.

"Okay then," Barbara said, smiling at her hesitantly looking friend.

The blackette startled the girl with the yellow ribbon through her red hair by giving her a kiss on her cheek while hugging her for a moment.  
Then they returned each other's relaxed smile.

"As long as you are happy," Barbara winked.

"This is a bottle from around the time you started school here, Akko," Thomas said as he opened a bottle of sparkling golden cider and refilled the Japanese witch's cup. "We called the pressing "Sparkling magic" in your honor."

"Hahaha! Did you hear that, Diana?" Akko laughed as she watched the boy with the dark-blonde hair and the pink bomber jacket over white pants pour her eleventh cup of cider. "Isn't that nice of them?"

"Haven't you had enough to drink, Akko?" The platinum-blonde witch asked with a concerned expression while her friend gulped down the sweet-and-sour liquid.

"Cider doesn't have a very high alcohol percentage..." Akko laughed.

"This is an exceptional pressing with an alcohol percentage of 10 percent volume, though," Thomas' bearded father laughed as he wiped his hands on his white skirt after serving another customer.

"It's not like I'm pouring down bottles of sake. We should celebrate that there are things Efu or whatever that Chaos God is called can't take from us! Isn't that right, Thomas?"

"Whatever you say, Akko," The mischievous boy laughed.

"You won't get through to her, Diana," Frank kindly appeased the witch in the long blue dress and the dark-blue overcoat as Thomas poured Akko's second glass of sparkling magic. "She won't pass up on anything when she visits a fair or a festival.  
Andrew told me what a devil she was when they visited her hometown together last spring," The tall blonde young man laughed.

"Where is Andrew by the way?" Diana asked in her authoritative way. "I was expecting him to come with you."

"Well…" Frank grimaced. "There was a change of plans. And now Andrew is otherwise engaged," The young man in the beige tuxedo quipped while looking over Diana's shoulder.

The British witch turned around and saw Akko hurriedly turn her face from Frank to Thomas and ask for another cup of cider.

When she turned back she realized Frank had left her side to join Hannah in front of the stage where another band was now beginning their performance and didn't quite understand what had just happened between the girl she loved and Hannah's boyfriend.

"Hey! Here are Wangari and Amanda!" Akko exclaimed as the two witches in question came up to the cider stall with their three friends in tow.

"Hey, Akko! Diana!" Wangari yelled. "I have something to tell you that neither of you will believe!"

All of the witches present at the fair gradually gathered around Wangari and congratulated her with the opportunity to make her dreams come true.

Later everybody joined the crowd dancing to the music provided by the band on the yellow stage.  
Lotte danced with Barbara. Diana danced with Akko. Hannah danced with Frank. Sola danced with everybody, but most of all with Amanda.

It was a lively ball that lasted well after shimmer had turned into darkness, but the visitors of Blytonbury fair had a jolly old time together.

Most of the people had kept from bothering the young witches with requests for magic tricks, but after some earnest appeals from a few young children and her thirtieth cider cup nobody was able to contain Akko's enthusiasm and she fired her friends on to put on a short but exciting show for the other visitors.

They all got a plate of fried spotted dragon bread with pickled vegetables out of it to fill their stomachs before they went dancing to the beats of a percussion band in another street.

Eventually, while their friends were still dancing, Diana found herself going back and forth as she shared a seat with Akko in one of five red-and-yellow painted wooden tandem swings that were lined up along the side of a road.

"That's really strange what Wangari told us about those aircraft carriers and destroyers and fighter jets suddenly disappearing. Don't you think, Diana?" The brunette stated while leaning back with her hands behind her head.

"I suppose it has something to do with Oku. I hope the Witches Council can put a stop to whatever he or she is planning with those war machines," Akko continued with a dark look. "I'm concerned about our new friends in Tokyo as well. Miss Kiryuin has been under arrest for a while now. Ryuko told us her sister was able to assure them she is treated very well, but those violent protests are worrying her too."

"I know," Diana agreed with a nod as a gust of cold wind blew through the nearly empty street. "I'm worried about those things too. I heard the Witches Council has been reorganizing the supernatural defense division and they have several operations in progress in order to combat the Chaos Gods. But I know no specifics. And Wangari couldn't discover anything either."

The two friends watched a group of two men and a young woman in very colorful garb who passed the tandem swings while snickering over a joke one of the men had made.

Akko moved her body back and forth to give their slowing swing some momentum again.

"What if the world really came to an end through the agency of creatures who were created from the suffering caused by people who enjoy bringing others pain and people who treat those who suffer with cold indifference and mockery?" The girl in the orange coat and the black trousers asked her friend.

Diana saw the dark look in the eyes of the girl she loved. Akko seemed to handle her liquor well after all.

"Well…" The platinum-blonde hesitated while looking into her lap. "Maybe it is best not to speculate on the possibility of the Chaos Gods reaching their goal.  
There are nine new witches after all and several other very powerful young witches on top," The girl in the blue overcoat and the light-blue dress stated confidently at last and looked up at her friend again.  
"And as I have said several times: I fully trust the never before so well organized Witches Council's ability to protect us and defeat this threat to humanity."

"Yes," Akko replied with a dreamy smile.

Diana felt suddenly self-conscious as she felt her friend's gaze upon her.

"You are always so brave and confident, Diana Cavendish," Akko stated with a grin.

"That is not really accurate..." Diana muttered while looking at a couple that passed them by. "There certainly are things that scare me."

"What are you scared about then?" Akko returned in a quiet and gentle voice.

Diana hesitated. But she wanted to get this off her chest.  
She had already shared her concerns with Chief Commissioner Karabo, but she needed to tell someone who would understand how hard the discovery had hit her.

"When we fought the armored assassin we used that spell to freeze her in place. Do you remember?" The platinum-blonde witch asked her friend.

"Yes. It was an extremely powerful spell. But it didn't manage to completely freeze the murderer in place on the first try," Akko said with a now serious look.

"Yes. And it should have. The spell should have worked on the first try," Diana stated without any doubt in her voice.  
"Even with the enormous amount of magical power I sensed coming from our opponent the ten of us generated an equal amount of energy together that should have made the spell function as it was supposed to.

Akko…" The Brit sighed as she made her fearful confession to the person closest to her among her friends.  
"The reason the spell partly failed is because one of us sabotaged it."

"Sabotaged…?" Akko muttered in disbelief. "But shouldn't they know how the spell worked beforehand in order to be able to do that?"

Diana returned her roommate's bewildered stare with a gaze that calmly confirmed her conclusion.

"That is exactly right, Akko. The person that has murdered so many of us not only is one of our closest friends. But she or an accomplice among us somehow learned the most jealously guarded secret spell of the Cavendish family."

"Diana…" Akko stammered.

"Do you see why I cannot be confident in anything anymore?" The slender British witch in the light-blue dress whispered as the swing they were occupying came to a halt.

"You cannot share this information with anyone, Akko! The only other person who knows is Chief Commissioner Karabo. Swear that you will focus your mind on keeping this a secret, Akko!"

"I will! I will!" The Japanese witch stated passionately. "Diana…"

"What?" Diana asked while tilting her head.  
She noticed a strange look in Akko's eyes. But the brunette didn't say anything even though her friend waited for nearly two minutes.

"Let's go to our room," Diana finally said as she descended the red tandem swing. "It's getting late and we had a busy day."

She started to walk towards the town center where their friends were still dancing for all they knew and heard her roommate follow behind her.  
Then, her Japanese friend suddenly took the right hand of the witch in the light-blue dress in her left and twirled her around.

"A… Akko!" Diana exclaimed in surprise.

The Brit felt her body being pushed against the side of a house and the arm that had taken hold of her right hand now encircled her waist.

Diana tremblingly cowered against the wall as her intimidatingly grinning friend loomed over her.

"Don't worry, my little Diana," The brunette smirked with gleaming red eyes. "I will protect you from any threat."

"You… You're still drunk!"

Diana only half understood what was happening. Why was Akko this aggressive? Was Akko attracted to her? Could it be that her feelings were shared with the girl she loved so dearly? But what about Akko's engagement to Andrew?

"Akk…" The platinum-blonde witch in the light-blue dress was about to protest as her body was pushed into the wall by her orange-clad friend before Akko took her chin in her right hand and stopped her lips with a passionate kiss.

Diana's knees gave way beneath her as she inhaled with a shudder after Akko's lips gently released hers. But the brunette kept her propped up, pressed between the cold wall and her warm body.

"You taste really sweet," Akko grinned with a drunken lisp Diana hadn't caught earlier.

She didn't really feel the coldness of the wall. She could only feel Akko's warmth.

"You taste like cider," Diana whispered as she felt her heart beat fast.

"And you taste like fudge, Diana Cavendish. I didn't know you liked fudge so much," Akko chuckled as she caressed the chin and cheek of the girl she was holding in her arms.

Then, as Diana smiled over Akko's cuteness she was greedily kissed again and completely surrendered to the girl who had assaulted her so unexpectedly.

The sensation of Akko's fingers caressing her face made Diana shudder and hold on to her beloved friend's orange coat while the brunette supported her platinum-blonde friend in the blue dress by the waist.

She didn't know why this was happening. She didn't know what they were going to say to each other later. She didn't know if this was love or lust on Akko's part.  
But as her friend held her in her warm and forceful embrace and kissed her again and again while fondling her warm cheek none of that mattered.

* * *

Faisal watched the frustrated expression the white-haired US naval chief on his television screen was wearing as he humbly apologized to his entire nation and the world for not being able to explain how 4 aircraft carriers, 20 destroyers, 15 attack submarines, and 7 cruisers could just disappear.

These were frightening developments and Faisal was worried about his fufian friends not having a clue what was going on either.

The violent protests demanding the release of Satsuki Kiryuin to the international court in Den Hague had died down everywhere but in Europe thanks to his friends who had targeted journalists worldwide and turned them all into fufians, but even in Europe the movement had gone rather quiet.

The large muscular bald Turk wondered what his friends would do if the protesters whose movement they had silenced had decided they would come and get Satsuki for themselves.

His children had taken his wife out to the Roppongi Christmas market for Christmas Eve, but Faisal had been lounging in the living room with the large white floor-tiles and the beige walls with accents of gold waiting for them to come home to share the late KFC dinner together.

For now, he was sitting in his brown leather sofa in a blue shirt and vest with his white-clad legs draped over a leather ottoman.  
On the small glass table next to him stood a glass of gin-tonic and a plate of çig kofte Sacchi had the kitchen prepare for him after work.

While watching how with the help of the Witches Council the European Union was finally successfully fighting the famine in Europe Faisal's cell phone rang.

The great Turk recognized the ringtone and refused to pick up initially, not wanting to be disturbed during his time of leisure.  
But his caller was persistent and called back three times. Eventually, Faisal sipped his gin and tonic and paused the news on his television set before taking his cellphone out of his pocket and pressing the appropriate icon.

Faisal brought the appliance to his ear and greeted his caller.  
There was no answer at first. Just the usual static noise that could be heard anytime he talked to "God".

Then, the person on the other end of the line spoke in a heavily resonating gravely voice.

"Good evening, Mr. Osdemir. I hope you are doing well this evening."

Faisal listened with an annoyed countenance at the distorted voice accompanied by the static the creature responsible for mutating half the population of earth produced over the connection.

"Can I ask you something?" He sighed. "Why must you always use that exaggerated polite language with me? Seeing as I am in truth your employee and in fact your slave some people might think you are mocking me."

Faisal heard a glitch in the static as he watched the frozen face of the European Commissioner for agriculture on his television.

Then a creaky vibrating laugh echoed through the static.

"Hahahaha. Mock you? Not at all. You are so defensive, Faisal. When have I ever treated you with disrespect?"

'Every time I find a saucer with remains of sorbet around the building,' Faisal thought to himself.

"This is a joke at my own expense, you see?" His interlocutor continued with a heavily reverberating amused voice. "I want to address my elders in respectful language."

"Then for your sake I am glad to hear you can be so carefree at this time."

Faisal waited for a reaction. But all he heard was the constant static that plagued the connection.

"At this time…" The person on the other end of the connection repeated slowly. "What should worry me at this time?"

"You don't think the disappearance of all those warships and jet fighters or the rumors of a serial killing super-witch are anything to worry about?" The man in the blue vest and white trousers inquired while rolling one of the spicy raw meatballs by his side in a lettuce leaf with his left hand before he swallowed it.

"So you also think we are about to be under attack?" The crackling distorted voice of "God" came through the static. "I am anticipating the eventuality.  
The attack would be more convenient if it came in a few months, as I am far from able to control my powers at the moment. But my magic teachers are opening worlds of knowledge to me and thanks to Satsuki's blood my body is increasingly growing into adulthood. This really is an exciting time for me, Faisal, and indeed for everyone.  
Still… An island of Gods has little to fear from an army of angry men. And if we find ourselves under attack from other Gods we have more than enough heroes who will fight to defend us. Hahahaha."

Faisal listened to the raspy laughter coming through the static noise. He took a long sip from his gin and tonic and allowed his eyes to wander from the pearl-white flat-screen television set hanging on the wall in front of him to the cocktail-bar near the corner to his right.

"What is it you really want?" He found himself asking.

It was a question he had never found the courage to ask. He had always felt it was a useless question, since, be the answer what it may, he knew well enough that the fate of humanity lay entirely in the hands of the person whose terrifying power created the static he continually heard over the line as his caller was silenced for a second by his inquiry.

"What I want…?" The deep and raspy voice of Faisal's master repeated. "I want the same thing you do, Faisal… I want the same thing every living being does: To live well.  
And I am sure that as a businessman you know that living well requires constant growth… constant expansion."

Faisal listened to the static coming through his cell phone in his large silent windowless living room.

"May I ask you a personal question now, Faisal? It is the reason I have wanted to talk to you after all."

The Turk in the blue vest and the white linen trousers fondled the golden griffin pin attached to his right breast-pocket.

"Ask me what you want," He returned.

"How is it possible for a person to love someone who is a monster?"

Faisal's eyes wandered to the tastefully decorated Christmas tree in the corner to his left and cringed in irritation at the words spoken by the heavily reverberating raspy voice coming through his cell phone.

"How should I know?" He roughly replied and sipped from his gin and tonic.

"Don't you still love your wife who poisoned all those elderly people back when she was working as a nurse in Russia?"

"That was never proven!"

"No, it wasn't," Came the amused answer. "Thanks to your lawyers."

Faisal balled his left hand into a fist and listened to the husky echoing laugh of the creature that was talking so casually about one of the deepest sins he ever committed.

"How do you know I still love my wife anyway," He quietly sulked.

"Even if your love for your wife wasn't obvious from the way you keep trying to protect her…" The reverberating creaky voice on the other end of the line replied through the static. "... You should know by now that I am aware of your every emotion."

A shiver of terror ran through Faisal's body and the large brawny man sat up in his leather fauteuil.

"W...What?! I thought fufians could only do that with each other!"

Faisal listened with bated breath to the distortion over the line as he realized his plan to stay out of his master's reach had been a failure from the beginning. Like a fool, he had supposed he could outsmart the being that had been enslaving the entire human race to itself while leaving him and his family the freedom to join whenever they felt like it.

The great Turk's heart pounded in his chest.

All he had worked for… All he had wanted to protect… All the power and profit he had expected to keep for himself after the fufian conspiracy had been defeated by the Witches Council as he had hoped…

After all, he was every bit as much a puppet as Hoka.

"That is true," The unearthly raspy voice spoke at last.

"But I am not an ordinary fufian… I am a monster."

* * *

A small black magitronic spider was hiding up in the crevice of a wooden support beam just above the door of the dorm room Nela and her friends occupied.

It had been recording dutifully how the figures of Filiz and her Czech roommate came in after the Christmas dinner they had shared with their friends in the cafeteria and how Nela took her coat to go out for the midnight mass at the church of Our Lady St. Mary.

Nela was pulling her arms through the sleeves of a long-sleeved green coat which she wore over a green vest and a white shirt with a long green skirt. "Filiz" sat down at her desk in a long dark-blue dress and a white vest with blue stripes.

The clock that hung up over the window struck nine and a real-life nightingale came out of the wooden birdhouse-shaped magical contraption to announce the hour with a short tune.

As she turned around after donning her stylish church-gear Nela saw "Filiz" open a book on modern magic and clenched her jaw in irritation.

"What are you doing?!" The blonde exclaimed. "Are you making fun of me?! It doesn't even serve any purpose for you to study! And what is the real Filiz even doing in that laboratory with professor Croix at this time?!"

"Of course it serves a purpose," Filiz's elaborate golem gently protested without looking up from her book. "My entire purpose is to create the illusion of me being here. If nothing I did mattered I would not have to be created.  
As for my creator: She chose to keep Professor Croix company because she is not allowed to come down and feast with our friends."

"Whatever…" Nela muttered grumpily. "Get your coat and come with me. The others are waiting."

"Oh? I am going to join you at the midnight mass in person, yeah," The golem now turned around to face Nela with a brilliant smile. "I want to be able to spend at least part of Christmas Eve with my dear Nela."

Nela glared into the eyes of the magical construct and looked around her.

"What are you waiting for, then?" The Czech finally bluntly asked.

"I should have been here already," The golem frowned. "Apparently I'm running a little late, but I'll be here soon enough."

Nela crossed her eyes, walked up to the desk next to Filiz's, slid back the wooden chair in front of it and sat upon it in reverse position, leaning her chin on the arms that hugged the back support.

The golem grinned and patted Nela on the head before crossing its arms and joining the blonde witch in patiently awaiting its creator.

"I know you think that I have betrayed you and am learning things without you."

Nela turned her head and frowned confusedly at the creature's sudden statement.

"Well, you are learning things without me," She angrily replied. "Pretending you haven't betrayed our understanding to only study or exercise together is futile at this time."

"I know what you mean, yeah. But like you say: All I learn in class is useless to my creator. I learn things you aren't, but while I am learning those things in the laboratory you can learn things I have no time for," The golem turned her face towards Nela and smiled.  
"I'm sorry I have to keep this secret and get an unfair advantage over you. But what I can tell you is that amazing things are happening, and I want you by my side when all is revealed."

Nela looked away and got up from her chair.

The golem watched the girl in the green coat with displeasure.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm tired of waiting for you, Filiz," Nela said with an irritated look. "I kept your secrets and respected your silence. I've lived my life as your rival according to your rules. You might not care about our rivalry anymore, but I can tell you I will not let you pass me by without a fight. After this day I am going to put all of my efforts into becoming better than you. And I won't play by the rules anymore."

The dark oaken door to the room opened and Isabelle came in, dressed in long mauve trousers and a mauve coat. The girl with the purple bob quietly walked into the room and watched her angry roommates.

The magitronic spider in the support beam above her added a new tag to the recording.

"So you are now pretending that I was holding you back by keeping you to a set of rules that YOU wanted us to live by?" The golem quietly inquired with a dark look and a backward tilted head as she fondled the golden coin with the double-headed eagle on it that hung from her left earlobe.

"I never asked to be bound…"

"You didn't want me to study without you knowing about it! I kept myself to our agreement until a time came when I was forced to break it on my part!"

"Not true! You were the one who wanted us to start and stop studying at the same time!" Nela exclaimed as she pointed her finger at the witch in the blue dress and white striped vest.

"This is why I was always relieved I never had any brothers or sisters," Their friend with the yellow-tinted unilens sunglasses sighed. "As an impartial judge, I can only say that as far as I know, you both wanted to make sure the other didn't improve on her own."

Her roommates fell silent but kept glaring at each other.

"You are precious to me, Nela," The golem said. "Our rivalry is important to me…"

A sudden ringtone made the creature take her cellphone out of her pocket and read the message sent to her.

"And… Delete," She muttered before looking up at Nela again.

"I'm sorry. It seems I had to help Professor Croix with something after all and things got late. I will meet up with you at the entrance of Luna Nova's leyline in ten minutes. So the two of you can leave if you want... Thank you both so much for helping me keep this a secret," She bowed humbly.

"That's no problem at all, Filiz. Hihihihi!" Isabelle laughed.

Nela nodded with a sour look on her face and moved to leave. To her surprise, she was hugged from behind by Filiz's creation.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like this," The golem whispered. "I want you to do exactly as you say you will, but I promise to reward you for keeping so many secrets for me. If you join me in the New Moon Tower on the first Monday of the new year I will make it all up to you."

"Promises… Promises…" Nela said with a scowl.

Then the golem slyly slid the Czech's long blonde hair back from her left ear and kissed her softly on the earlobe.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, creature!" Nela exclaimed with a violent blush as she pushed the giggling golem from her.

"I'm sorry, Nela. I just can't resist how cute you are," The creature with the black ponytail smiled.

Nela rolled her eyes and put her hand on the doorknob.

"Come on, Isabelle. Let's go to the leyline entrance," She said.

The French witched smiled at the golem and imperceptibly glanced up at the little magitronic spider before she and Nela left the room in silence.

Then the magical construct slowly walked to the wooden chair at Filiz's desk and sat down in it.

"And don't you think I don't know about the present you bought for my birthday, dear Nela," She grinned while rhythmically tapping the fingers of her right hand on her right knee.

The magitronic spider recorded how tiny little blue stars appeared around the creature.

" Ah!" The golem just sighed. "It looks like it is the end for me. From clay you are born so to clay you will return," She smiled while looking at the floor before instantly turning to the very substance and falling in a heap on the floor.

The last thing the magitronic spider recorded for its master before the three witches who inhabited the room came back from Midnight Mass was the heap of clay disappearing into thin air.

* * *

Five hours later another magitronic spider, hidden under the curtain rod in the room were Wangari and Sola slept in the bunk bed to its right, and Amanda slept in the bed to its left, was doing as it had been instructed to.

Watchful through the night it made the usual night time recording which it would discard just before the alarm would wake the three witches, just like it had done since the day it was sent to observe the trio.

Unexpectedly, however, the appearance of a dog-sized unicorn in the middle of the room caused the minute spy to add a tag to the recording which would keep it from being erased in the morning.

The unicorn known to the spider as Banagher observed Wangari, who was sleeping in the bottom bunk bed under a blue duvet decorated with moons and stars.

"Wangari…" The bone-white horse whispered quietly as it noiselessly came closer to the sleeping witch. "Such a shame those wretched pests who gave birth to you spoiled my chances to exploit that beautiful ardent desire of yours. Luckily for me, you are not the only one who has a powerful want in this room."

The magitronic spider watched Banagher turn its head and walk slowly towards Amanda while its tail wagged from side to side.

"Amanda… Hahahaha. I have observed how strongly you wish to fight Emma Thomas in the global competition for light-saber fencing. But you fear the tournament will be suspended if the witch hunter isn't caught by then."

Banagher curled up his upper lip as he looked at the pinkette who lay snoring underneath her red-and-green blanket.

"Well… Let us see if we can't make your wish come true," The horse said in a menacing tone.

Without warning, Banagher disappeared from the magitronic spider's vision. It was aware however that the horse was still in the room.

His dimensional center forcefully transferred into the sixth dimension, Banagher anxiously defended himself against a cloud of glowing red dust that was blown towards him.

She had found him already and now he was going to have to fight her attempts on his life until everyone started their day, just like on every one of the previous nights.

Banagher created translucent light-blue orbs that sucked up the dust and disappeared. Then he teleported to the Headmistress's office and as quickly as possible annulled the powerful dimensional displacement spell cast on him.  
As soon as he succeeded he was caught in a large glowing purple orb that crackled as if electrical discharges were formed inside.

Writhing in pain the unicorn quickly teleported to the courtyard.

Banagher looked around carefully. He still didn't understand how it was possible for his enemy to elude nearly all his powers of perception.

"You won't stop me!" He shouted in frustration. "No matter what you do to me I will fulfill my divine destiny!"

The white unicorn quickly teleported away to the Horologium chamber and created a small ball of yellow light on the tip of his horn.

As several blue energy-orbs, powerful enough to destroy Denmark entirely, flew towards him from all sides the ball of light enveloped and protected him from the explosions it absorbed.

"Hahaha!" The unicorn laughed tauntingly. "If you want to kill me you better be prepared to destroy this entire dimension!"

Another volley of energy balls flew towards him.

Banagher teleported away just in time. He seemed to have been able to elude his hunter for a while and used that time to visit another victim than Amanda O' Neil.

By the time he was again disappointed by a girl he had made his proposal to and wiped her mind he was caught into the sixth dimension once more and this time his enemy did not relent in bombarding him with attacks that nearly succeeded in tearing him apart before the dawning day finally brought an end to the unicorn's suffering.

* * *

"You may enter," A female prison guard with her brown hair tied up in a bun and dressed in a dark-blue uniform told Ryuko with a nod to the beige door in front of her.

The blackette nodded and opened the door.

As she walked into the white room she saw that Satsuki was already sitting behind the meter-wide window in the seat on the other side of the partition with another female guard in dark-blue uniform and black tie next to her.

Ryuko held the skirt of her knee-length green dress up with both hands and sat down in an aluminum desk chair with a pale wooden seat, facing her sister.

"Merry Christmas, Satsuki," She said quietly.

"Haha," She watched her sister chuckle with downcast eyes. "Merry Christmas to you too. That is a very beautiful dress. Did Nonon make you wear it?"

"How well you know us," Ryuko smirked.

Satsuki still looked well in her long grey dress. There isn't much that would affect her obviously, being a life-fiber infused human being. A fact that they were all relieved had not escaped their circle of friends into public knowledge.  
Although there were things that had planted doubts inside them whether that was really true.

"The doctor said I am in fine health as usual," Satsuki said while keeping her hands on her lap. "I still receive daily check-ups to examine my blood and body so as to prove to the world that I am treated well here."

Ryuko watched the guard by her sister's side write in her booklet.

Satsuki wasn't allowed to look her in the eyes, but from the first time Ryuko had heard her sister mention the daily blood samples she hadn't needed eye contact to know that the young woman with the long black hair sitting before her felt the routine and amount of these samples were of concern.

Ryuko shared this concern. It seemed to her as if Satsuki was being milked.  
The public park maintenance worker knew that this made little sense, but she had said so to Hoka, Inumutan, and Nonon all the same. They had agreed between them to say only good things to Ira, for fear of worrying him.

"That's good," Ryuko replied. "I'll certainly tell Nonon that the doctors are making sure you stay in good health."

"Please change the subject!" The female guard sharply reprimanded.

"I'm sorry," Ryuko grimaced.

"Don't worry about the discipline, Ryuko," Satsuki smiled amusedly.

"It is quite ironic how I who once ruled with iron discipline am now subjected to the same," She continued. "But I obviously deserve to be served my own regime back to me. And I do not have to tell you that I don't mind living like this in the least. You know me as well as I know you, after all."

"Yes. That's true," Ryuko chuckled.

"How is Ira?" Satsuki asked.

Ryuko watched her sister sit straight up in her seat behind the window. Although Satsuki was looking downward, her sister was aware that she was glancing up at her green-clad upper body so as to be able to see some part of her only surviving family.

The girl with the red streak in her hair wanted to smash the window and hug the taller woman, but that kind of thinking wouldn't bring a solution to the problem.

"He's doing very well," She smiled. "In fact, and this is mine and his Christmas present to you: He did as you requested."

"Hahahaha," Satsuki laughed. "We finally managed to make an honest man out of Ira Gamagoori."

"Yep. He and Mako had a very romantic evening together and are now engaged to be married. They told us everything about Ira's clumsy marriage proposal during a party they held on Christmas Eve. Mako did a quickly improvised dance routine to cheer him on."

"Hahahahaha!" Satsuki laughed out loud, conjuring a broad grin on the face of her younger sister. "I can see it in my mind's eye. I'm so happy those two are finally able to continue their journey together."

"Yes. I look forward to the marriage," Ryuko smiled.

"And how about you?" Satsuki smirked. "Everyone's always too boring, too loud, too big, too small. What about that colleague you get along with so well? Shiten?"

"There we go again," Ryuko chuckled and leaned back in her chair with her hands folded behind her head. "Shiten is more than ten years older than me. Meanwhile, I've never even heard you talk about a lover these past years."

"Well, I've been busy."

"So has Rei. It didn't stop her."

"I told you before why I haven't been looking for a lover, Ryuko. I want to spend as much time as is permitted me to make up for the sixteen years that we were apart."

"Yeah… Me too, sis."

Ryuko softly tapped the heel of her right foot against the linoleum floor and stared at Satsuki's smile for about a minute before she realized she shouldn't make any movements or noise that could be interpreted as non-verbal communication.

"I'm sorry," She hastily said and sat upright again with her hands flat on the lap of her green dress.

The guard seemed to have been lost in thought, however, because it appeared she wasn't aware of what the blackette had been doing.

"Ryuko…" Satsuki suddenly began with a serious expression on her face.

The young woman with the red streak in her short black hair tilted her head.

"You know… It would be very painful for me if I ever did something that would make me lose your love. But I am afraid I have already done such a thing"

The guard regarded Satsuki with a ponderous expression and started to write in her notebook.

"I am afraid something is going to happen that will make you discover something that I wish I had not felt it necessary to do. And when you do, I hope I can count on your clemency when you judge me."

Ryuko was aware of her stomach feeling queasy.

"Are you sure it is wise to say such things now?" She quietly asked.

"If I am correct in my assumption The people responsible for leaking information about the war against the life fibers are not interested in what I have or have not done," Satsuki quickly said. "I care deeply about what you think of me."

"I am sorry, but I am going to have to end this visit now," The guard said as she got up.

Satsuki immediately got up too. Her sister felt a shock run through her heart that their visit was cut short like this. She wanted to talk a lot more.

"Please leave the room first," The guard said.

Ryuko looked from her to Satsuki's encouraging smile and kept her cool while she decoded the morse code her older sister was tapping with her heel into: "You are the most important person in my life. Don't worry about me."

Deriving some comfort from the message helped her to make her peace with the twenty minutes she had been able to spend in Satstuki's company.

Ryuko bid the young woman with the long black hair in the grey prison uniform a good day and a see you later before leaving the room, hoping that her sister would be alright on her own. She walked back to her home filled with doubts, worries, and memories of the laughter they had shared during the visit.

She hadn't been able to tell Satsuki about the strange ghost calls she had been receiving lately and which, strangely, Hoka with all of his telecommunications skills couldn't trace.

And half an hour later, when she was sitting in her room in the house Satsuki had bought for them, she was still pondering what her dearly beloved older sister had told her… And why when she told her that she had done something that might potentially turn Ryuko against her she had tapped the morse code for: "Don't trust any government organization and be vigilant. Somebody is after the power the life fibers bring."

This was one of the times Ryuko wished their father was still alive.

* * *

Four days later, on the third of January, the witches of Luna Nova magic academy stumbled through the crimson-carpeted hallways with the oak-panel walls on their way to the common bathrooms.

Once washed and dressed, from their rooms via those same hallways and the stairs to the ground floor, they migrated to the cafeteria where they were served a healthy breakfast of toasted spotted dragon bread with brown sugar and yogurt with dried raisins to feed their young brains before they began the first day of school in the new year.

Once in the cafeteria, the intercom announced the amazing news that a select few had been aware of and which was now finally shared with the rest of the student body.

"Good morning, Luna Nova! This is Wangari Maina from the Luna Nova News Network and I bring you the news of the day."

Akko seated herself next to Diana and Mary, with Blair, Rajani, and Joanna sitting on the opposite side of the two tables both groups had moved together.

"Last week three battalions from the supernatural defense division of the Witches Council's department of order and protection assisted by a group of students from Luna Negra successfully targetted the Chaos God known as Eri in a sting operation at Syria's Hope Hospital For Children."

The young brunette swallowed a spoon of yogurt and just like most of her fellow students turned her head in the direction of the closest speaker-box with an expression of hopeful curiosity.

"All of the patients in the hospital were one by one evacuated via teleportation to magic-construct wards in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City and replaced by golems. On the 28th of December Eri attacked the hospital that was staffed by soldiers from the supernatural defense division in disguise. After a long and violent battle, the witches managed to severely wound their opponent and drive him off with only two heavily wounded on their side."

All of the girls in the cafeteria started to cheer and clap their hands as Wangari told them the news. Akko roughly hugged Diana and grinned that she had been right when she had told her that the Witches Council would find a way to deal with the Chaos Gods.

"After the steadily declining number of deaths related to the Carcinogenic Gastro Pulmonary Disease caused by the Chaos God Eri thanks to the efforts of witches from the department of welfare and medical personnel from the WHO and the various hospitals in the Middle East, this is another devastating blow to the enemy of mankind. The Witches Council has received reports of patients responding better to treatment since the battle and its scryers are hard at work now to locate Eri so that they can capture the creature. If there are further developments in the case The Luna Nova News Netwerk will be the first to let you know. Enjoy your day!"

After that, the battle against Eri was on everyone's lips. Students, teachers and the soldiers form the supernatural defense division who were still guarding every magic school in Europe were saying how great it was that they had finally succeeded in fighting back against the Chaos Gods.

"Emma Thomas is amazing, isn't she?" A first-year with long silver hair said to a friend as they passed Diana by on their way through the hallway on the first floor. "She led her friends from Luna Negra against the Chaos God during the attack."

"I know! She's so brave!"

Diana, meanwhile, in spite of the news that had managed to lift her spirits somewhat, did still feel confused and desponding about the fact that Akko on the day after their visit to the Christmas fair seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened from the moment they sat down in the tandem swing together.

The platinum blonde witch had gone from ecstatic hope to despair in the space of 24 hours. After Akko had kissed her so passionately they had gone to their friends hand in hand and flew back to Luna Nova together.

There had been little time for intimate talk, but before they went to sleep on either side of Mary who was already sleeping Akko had quickly given her another kiss and wished her a good night.

The next morning the brunette had acted just as usual and when asked she said she had lots of black holes in her memory from the cider she had drunk so much off.

"Hey, Diana!"

The Brit turned around and found herself caught up by her close friend Barbara, who cheerfully linked arms with her.

"What do you think of the great news we heard earlier," The young witch with the long black hair asked.

"It's really great to hear the success of the supernatural defense division," Diana answered as joyfully as she could. "I hope they can soon find Eri before he can organize a counter-attack."

"Ah…" Barbara sighed. Diana turned her face to look at the suspicious expression her friend was wearing.

"Something is wrong. I can see. And I have the feeling it's Akko-trouble," The blackette sourly remarked.

Her British friend skulkingly averted her face.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Diana? Akko is a bumbling fool. She may have exceptional magical prowess, but without you she would still be picking at the tail she gave herself with her magic wand in futile attempts to get it to disappear.  
It is hard enough if you like another girl, but it is never going to be a good idea to just let those feelings fester.  
Even if they are mutual nothing will ever come from it if you expect anything from that roommate of yours."

"Akko kissed me," Diana whispered.

"She what?!"

"Shhh! I don't want anybody else to hear," Diana angrily scolded her surprised friend. "You know as well as I do that she is engaged to Andrew…"

"So what?! If she kissed you…!"

"She doesn't remember."

"She doesn't remember?" Barbara frowned for a moment as they slowly left the hallway and started to cross the courtyard which was covered in a thin carpet of snow in order to get to the hallway on the other side. "But she kissed you, that does show there is a mutual attraction!" If you…"

"I will not," Her friend determinedly answered.

"What? Why?" Barbara asked with a disbelieving stare.

"I told you why," Diana replied haughtily. "Akko and Andrew are engaged to be married. I have no right to meddle."

"But there is still time…!"

"Hi, Barbara," Lotte called and kissed her girlfriend on the lips as she linked arms with her.

She and Jasminka had been talking with Akko and Mary hidden behind another group, so their two friends hadn't spotted them before.

Diana shared a look with Barbara that implied that she considered the topic closed.

"What I am concerned about," She said in an attempt to mask their previous conversation. "Is that the Witches Council is allowing students to participate in battles fought by the supernatural defense division. Those girls might have been killed."

"I heard Wangari say that Emma Thomas insisted to assist in the operation," Akko said. "They seem to have handled themselves well during the battle too."

"If it is Emma Thomas I agree there is little to worry about," Mary added. "Even so, I also think the Witches Council was at fault for allowing their participation."

"I am more concerned about that Eri," Jasminka squeaked.

"That's true," Lotte nodded. "He must be like a wounded rat now. There is no telling what he might do after the attack he suffered."

Mary slowly exhaled with a slight shudder. Nobody seemed to notice.

But even as Barbara commenced her sentence, one by one, every student, teacher, and soldier in the courtyard became aware of the enormous magical power that suddenly emerged among them.

"You're right, Lotte. They better find out fast where he is hiding."

"Hiding?!" A cold female voice exclaimed high above them. "But we are right here!"

Every person assembled in the courtyard looked up at the humanoid forms floating above them, fear coursing through their hearts.

A cute girl with long blonde ringletted twin-tails and a pale pink dress bound with a red sash was levitating to the right of a tall young black man with long loose dark-green micro dreads who was wearing a long stained brown cloak over a green tunic.

The young man seemed to have lost his left foot in a violent encounter. Just under his knee, the limb ended in a bunch of ragged and burned pieces of flesh. That did not seem to cause him much pain however since he was grinning with glee at his spectators.

The girl to his right seemed to be in high spirits as well. With a handsome smirk she addressed the students which the soldiers of the supernatural defense division were teleporting into the school building one by one while replacing them with golem likenesses.

"We wish you a happy new year, Luna Nova! I am so happy to see so many of you here," Efu smiled. "This surely will be a feast."

Akko watched the grin on the face of the monster that was looking at her friends with hungry eyes.  
The brunette braced herself and remembered what Professor Thiry had told her.  
Today it truly seemed the days of her childhood had ended. And it was time to show the people who held her in such high esteem that she would always protect their hopes and dreams.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	11. Chapter 11

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

 **Eleven years ago. Paris, France.**

 **Isabelle's voice:** **  
I am sitting at my father's white drawing table in his work-room. The sun is shining in through the double window to our right. I wiggle my legs as I stare at the beige-and-brown woven threaded wallpaper on the wall in front of me for a moment.**

 **My father draws comics. Mama says he is a silly man who draws silly characters.**

 **My father is sitting next to me in beige trousers and a white blue-dotted long-sleeved shirt. I like to look at him while he works. He always asks me to sit very still when I do because otherwise I have to leave the room. So I always try to only move my legs. It's alright if I only move my legs.**

" **There. That's the final drawing for tomorrow's gazette done," My father sighs.**

 **I look up at his funny face. My father has a fat nose. Mama and I always make jokes about his fat nose.  
He wipes the sweat from his glasses with a cloth and combs through his black hair. Behind him, a painting of a spiral-shaped shell hangs against the wall.**

" **It looks like the knight wasn't able to defeat the dragon today either, Isabelle," He smiles. "Sometimes the monster wins and sometimes the knight. But they are both funny in their own way. Aren't they?"**

 **I notice a strange look in his eyes and he quickly fetches another piece of paper to lay on top of the finished drawings.**

 **He is too late though. Mama cast a spell to make all the pencils he had been using draw flowers, footballs, and teddy bears all over the knight and the dragon.**

" **Hahaha!" I laugh. "Mama was too fast for you, Papa!"**

 **I look to my left, where mama is standing in the door opening with her magic wand in her hand, wearing a cream-colored vest over a brown dress. She is also laughing.**

" **Where are your drawings for today's paper, Akira?" She says in imitation of papa's boss, her long blonde ponytail bumping up and down as she moves her head.  
My father has a fat nose. But mama has a long nose. We always laugh with mama's nose too.**

" **What will papa say when his boss asks, my little chou-chou?" Mama playfully asks.**

" **He swallowed it!" I sing in response. "The machine swallowed it!"**

 **Mama and I laugh heartily about the joke. But papa is bending over his drawing with his hands covering his head.**

" **Dorothée…" He sighs. "I have to redo all of this now. Do you have any idea how long that'll take?"**

 **"Oh, how horrible! Imagine that silly comic not appearing in the gazette one day!" Mama exclaims in mock-horror with her hands to her cheeks.**

 **"It's not as if they contracted you because you're that good. You got the spot because you are cheap, Akira-sensei," She laughs. "If you can't make it in time they'll run an old gag. It's not as if your silly job is contributing much to getting back our house."**

 **"Yes, silly father," I laugh.**

 **"Where did our house go?!" Father whines.**

 **"He swallowed it! The machine swallowed it!" I laugh.**

 **"The three of us are living well! The things we had to sell we can buy again! Dragon Cube Omega is gaining popularity! If my name gets out I might be able to release a graphic novel series!"**

 **"Uh-oh!" Mama points her index finger in the air and grins at me. "Sounds to me like it's time for a game."**

 **"Pie-challenge!" I scream and jump up and down.**

 **"Nooo… Please, Dorothée. Don't do this," My father pleads as he backs away from his drawing-table.**

 **"Who will get a pie in the face, my little chou-chou?" Mama asks me. "Mama or papa?"**

 **"Dorothée, please… I know you are disappointed in me, but please stop involving Isabelle in this."**

 **"I think it's going to be papa," I nod with a grin**

 **"Dorothée…"**

 **Using the magic wand that she recently recharged, out of thin air, mama conjures up a whipped cream pie that hits papa square in the face. I jump up and down in my seat with pleasure.**

 **Mama giggles while papa just stands in the middle of the room with his face covered in whipped cream. Then she quietly leaves the room.**

 **"Come to the living room in ten minutes to do some writing exercises, my little chou-chou," She calls after me. "We have to make sure you develop good study habits for when you become a big girl and go to Luna Nova. You are lucky to have one parent who can provide for your future."**

 **"Alright, mama," I say.**

 **Meanwhile, my father takes a towel from the beige cupboard against the wall opposite his drawing-table.**

 **He sighs and wipes his face.**

 **"You are so funny, papa!" I laugh. "Silly papa. I like your stories, but you have to get a real job like mama."**

 **My father comes and sits to my right at his desk again. He looks at me with sad eyes.** **Then he hugs me.**

 **"My sweet Isabelle," He says. "I am glad you like the story about the monster and the knight."**

 **"I think the dragon and the knight are funny," I say.**

 **"They are. But there are monsters that aren't funny…**

 **My sweet Isabelle, I know you don't understand what is going on yet. I love you and your mother very much. I regret what happened, but I cannot change it.  
And I cannot abandon my dream to pursue the life your mother wants to live once more…**

 **My only hope is that being a witness to all of this won't end up turning you into a monster.**

* * *

Commander Monika Blauch Looked down from her position in the two-story tower of Luna Nova's main hall on the students in the courtyard who stood arrested by what they were witnessing above them.

One by one the purple-clad girls disappeared as the investigators from the civil aid division teleported them to the cafeteria and replaced them with golems and supernatural defense division troopers who used an illusion spell in order to disguise themselves as the young witches whose place they took.

Chief Commissioner Mahlangu's people were doing their part of the emergency protocol and now it was up to Monika's people to do their jobs.

The tall Berner with the long orange curls gave quick telepathic commands to her troopers and observed the two Chaos Gods who were looking down at the girls she had sworn to protect.

If only by chance the witches from the civil aid division could be granted time to evacuate every one of them.

Monika had been fully briefed on the battle in Syria. She was going to follow the same battleplan that had worked so well for Commander Talpur. What made the orangette nervous was that the Pakistani Commander's team had only had to fight one of these creatures.

While the supernatural defense division's Commander braced herself for battle Efu's eye fell on a girl with long flowing black hair who was watching her as nervously as any of her friends. The girl in the pale pink dress instantly recognized the young witch.

"What do we have here?" The creature amusedly exclaimed while playing with the long ringletted blonde pigtail on her left. "What a surprise! You are the disguise!"

Molly Morgan wasn't scared of much. But being addressed like that by one of the bringers of the apocalypse did make her heart skip a beat.  
It took the girl a moment to register the outlandish fact and realize that everyone, including the companion of the cute blonde girl who was floating high up in the sky, was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"Eh? What are you talking about?!" The blackette returned.

"You are the one she disguised herself in when she fought your sister," Efu grinned as she pointed at Molly with a large steak knife she had conjured up in her right hand in the spur of the moment.

Those words shook Molly far more than the first sentence the Chaos God had spoken to her.

"You… You saw Rachel!" She eagerly exclaimed.

Diana and Commander Blauch noticed in horror that the young Brit conjured up her broom and flew up to meet her interlocutor without regard for her personal safety.

But before the blackette flew five meters high she was teleported back to the courtyard near the Trilogy Of Serenity statue next to Mary.  
The blue-haired witch knew that Molly wasn't being nearly as careless as she seemed to be behaving to most. But others might endanger themselves by trying to save her classmate who should normally survive this encounter.

"Whatever you do, never allow her to come near you," The witch with the red sash through her hair whispered without exchanging looks with her classmate while Molly stared straight up at the creature that had just teased the only information she had about her sister.

#Diana! Mary! Amanda! Constanze! Jasminka! Lotte! Barbara! Hannah!" Akko telepathically transmitted to her friends. "We have to use the spell Diana taught us to catch the serial killer with! We have to use it as many times as it takes to immobilize them!"

Diana glanced at her friend before turning her eyes back on the threats in the sky.

#The witches from the department of order and protection have initiated the emergency protocol. I think we should let them handle things, Akko.#

#I agree!# Barbara added. #This isn't the time to start mucking around on our own initiative.#

#Ah!# Their Japanese friend grimaced in exasperation. #You know, each of them possesses about the same amount of magical power as the witch hunter! If we can freeze one of them we'd be helping the supernatural defense division tremendously.#

#That's true,# Lotte transmitted. #But our action might confuse them. I really think it's too dangerous to suddenly interfere like that, Akko!#

The brunette remembered what she had read in the books Professor Thiry had bought for her and reflected.

#Alright. I see your point. We would better use our power to aid in another way that would not interfere with the people who are here to protect us. Let's assemble at our table when we are teleported to the cafeteria.#

Mary couldn't help a grin appearing on her face.

#You are giving in rather quickly,# Amanda teased. #Oh! I see it's my turn to be teleported away right now. I'm feeling the tingles. See you all in the cafeteria.#

"You saw my sister!" Molly exclaimed again. "What happened to her?!"

Grateful for the diversion provided by the interest Efu showed in Molly, Karabo Mahlangu observed the dwindling number of witches in the courtyard from her position underneath one of the arched entrances to the school building's ground floor hallway. The third years were all at the northern campus. One of her officers had teleported there to start evacuating them to Dinas Affaraon.

"Your sister?! She sure seems important to you!" Efu chuckled. "Strange, seeing as that girl fought a furious life-and-death duel with someone who had disguised themselves as you!"

"Rachel fought somebody?!" The blackette who like her fellow students was wearing her purple school uniform asked as she put a step forward.

"Remember that these creatures live on the pain and heartbreak of human beings, Molly," Mary said while holding her friend's right hand in her left. "You can't take everything they say for gospel."

"Who attacked my sister?!" Molly demanded.

"It did seem like it was Rachel who attacked your doppelganger," Efu giggled while she licked the tip of the steak knife she was holding. "But I'm sorry I can't say who the person was that stole your identity."

Molly suspiciously regarded the creature who seemed to be telling her that Rachel had fought with the serial killer while the latter was disguised in her likeness.

Mary was still holding Molly's hand, deducing from the relaxing grip she felt there that the unrest in her friend's mind and heart were being set at ease by what was being told her.

Molly knew the monster her poor sister had fought must have abused the enmity her decision to date Will after he broke up with Rachel and confessed to her had caused between them. She knew the serial killer must have said terrible things to Rachel to get her to attack her own sister. But then the fight Rachel had with that monster must have been dreadful.

Molly already knew the answer to her next question. She had made her peace with that answer about a month ago.

"Where is my sister now?!" She asked.

But the answer she got wasn't the one she expected.

"Where your sister is?" Efu giggled while Eri was frowning at his companion with increasing vexation apparent on his grimy and sweaty face. "Why she is right here!"

A collective gasp rose up from the courtyard as the witches still assembled there saw how the girl with the long blonde ringletted pigtails was pointing at her stomach.

Molly's eyes widened in horror as she realized what the monster floating in the sky above the courtyard was telling her.

"Wh...What?!" She breathed.

"I. Ate. Your. Sister," Efu snapped in mock-annoyance.  
"I ate her before she died," The Chaos God then smiled tauntingly. "She didn't even realize it wasn't you she had fought before I told her. She fought so hard. She clearly didn't like you very much."

Mary glanced at the girl she was holding hands with. She sensed the increased tension in the blackette's grip relax again.  
Clearly, the friend she had failed had received the answers she had been wanting because as the bluette regarded Molly's face she saw a confident calm come over her bereaved classmate. Once again she envied the girl her strength.

"You can't blame me for being hungry," Efu smirked. "I got precious little energy from your beloved Rachel, so she was near death in any case."

Molly looked the glutinous Chaos God with the long blonde ringletted pigtails square in the eyes and smiled.

"I have shared all of my happiness with my sister since the day I was born, and she shared hers with me," She said. "No matter what happened between us or what she thought happened between us in her last moments, I know how she truly felt about me and I know that deep down she knew how I feel about her. What were Rachel's last words?"

Efu's mocking smile fell and she grimaced in annoyance as she returned the blackette's confident gaze.

"You don't have to tell me! I know what my sister's last words and feelings were! I had known even if I hadn't met you!  
And you are wrong by the way," Molly smiled cutely. "My sister isn't inside of you. She's right here," The blackette said, pointing at her heart. "And she's telling me to help my friends make sure you'll never hurt anyone again."

"Well, then you can try to stop us right now!" Eri yelled at Molly.

Monika Blauch and her troopers sprung into action as the black young man with the long loose dark-green micro dreads wearing a long stained brown cloak over a green tunic released thousands of bugs from under his shabby muddy coat and turned to his companion.

"Enough of this nonsense! Can't you see that they are all getting away while you are having a chat?! I came here so we could both feast upon their pain and gain their strength!"

All of the remaining students in the courtyard were teleported to the cafeteria at once.

The troopers of the supernatural defense division conjured up gas-masks that were attached to their faces as they appeared.

Then, each of the women conjured up a perforated emerald-green orb from which a sparkly ruby-red gas escaped which quickly spread across the courtyard's airspace.

Eri gritted his teeth as he saw all of his bugs disintegrate as soon as they found themselves in the cloud of red gas.

"So you think you can beat me by employing that trick they used against me in Syria?! Why don't I show you how wrong you are, witches?!" The monster grinned.

"Maybe some other time," Efu giggled as she twirled around in her pink dress and the red sash around her waist trailed along. "Because I have a mighty craving."

Surprised by the sudden attack Eri turned around and tried to fight his companion, but he wasn't fast enough.

Commander Blauch and her troopers took to their brooms and flew up above the red gas-cloud that started to dissipate after all of the bugs had vanished and the SDD troopers used a spell to create a strong breeze.

Thinking they would have one less problem to deal with they observed how Efu's head grew to monstrous proportions and swallowed the struggling Eri.  
But as soon as Efu's body went back to normal they realized their mistake.  
The magical power the girl with the long blonde pigtails now possessed was much more than the sum of her and the Chaos God she had just eaten.

* * *

Mary was watching the whole thing through a crystal ball with her friends while they were gathered around their wooden table in the crowded cafeteria.  
Her invisible clone, who had been keeping daytime watch over Banagher in their room, as usual, had come with when Diana went to fetch the unicorn.  
She noticed that the creature was obviously very pleased to be able to sense the emotions and hear the fears and desires of the witches assembled.

Orcs and trolls were still dutifully cleaning up after breakfast, awkwardly navigating the perturbed young witches who were standing on the wide light-blue tiles that adorned the cafeteria floor.  
The largely unfazed magical creatures reacted with some annoyance when the officers of the civil aid division told them they would be teleported to Dinas Affaraon as well.

As searching students found their friends they started to teleport to safety towards the Witches Council's ancient castle town one by one. Until to everyone's confusion, they stopped.

"What's going on?!" Sophia Demertzis demanded with the many other girls who nervously attempted to teleport again.

The large brawny girl with the three silver pigtails on either side of her head saw Isabelle walk close up to her and involuntarily recoiled from the French witch.

"Don't worry about that," The girl with the purple bob and the yellow-tinted unilens sunglasses calmly stated. "You weren't going to go anywhere after all. It's time to put our training to the test."

"What?!" The large-framed Greek horrifiedly hissed. "Have you all lost your minds?!"

"Don't be so loud," Isabelle coldly warned the classmate twice her size who was staring anxiously at her opaque glasses. "We can get out of here unnoticed during this fuss. Come with me. We gather in the auditorium. I think you know what will happen if you aren't there."

Sophia swallowed, screwed her eyes shut and grimaced before she started following in Isabelle's footsteps.

All around the two young witches other girls were starting to panic until they noticed their headmistress serenely floating above them.

"Everyone! Please calm down," Miranda Holbrooke gently pleaded.

As the pacifying spell cast by Chloé Thiry, who was standing with folded arms next to Samantha Badcock at the cafeteria entrance, took effect everyone assembled in the large hall quietly waited for their headmistress to speak.

"That is better," Miranda smiled. "We are all in a hurry for obvious reasons, so I am not going to keep you waiting for long. The Chaos God Efu apparently has the power to block teleportation, but Professor Badcock and I will provide a solution shortly. If you will come closer, Professor Badcock?" The woman smiled as she held out an inviting hand.

Samantha Badcock and Professor Thiry walked towards the cafeteria's aluminum counter and positioned themselves at about four meters distance from each other.  
The following moment the two women raised respectively their left and right arms.

The students who stood closest to them observed how a bright blue line stretched from one witch to the other. Next, the line slowly took shape and the two witches erected a large bright blue disk in the air.

"This gate will bring you all directly to one of the meeting rooms at Dinas Affaraon," Headmistress Holbrooke smiled kindly. "Please step through it three at a time."

While other students started to walk to safety through the gate Akko, Diana, and their friends observed how the battle was going in the courtyard.

* * *

48 supernatural defense division troopers dressed in light-blue tunics and seated on steel-shafted brooms were circling their opponent in the pale light of the winter sun.

Monika ordered her troopers to cast a spell so as to fix their dimensional center. She had a bad feeling about the battle. Efu was now far more powerful than she had accounted for.

"So… Witches?" The cute blonde ringletted girl in the pink dress grinned while her blue eyes shimmered treacherously. "I am ready for the main course."

At once Monika's squat black-curled Lieutenant Lucia Alvarez led the troopers to circle Efu. Each of the women shot a powerful silver ray from their pointer finger. But at the moment their energy attacks met in a powerful explosion their target appeared right above their commander, who had stayed at some distance. The tall 40-year old with the long orange curls gasped in panic as she looked above her and instantly teleported to the one-story tower at the other side of Luna Nova's main hall.

Efu took a deep breath vomited a strange yellow sticky slime all over the witches closest to her.

An athletic-looking tall young woman from Herefordshire with short red hair and a pale complexion tried to cast an explosion spell as she was surprised by the sudden appearance of the Chaos God next to her, but found she was unable to move due to the yellow substance she was covered in and was almost instantly swallowed by the giant head of the girl in the pink dress.

A forty-something stout dark-blonde Bavarian woman who flew towards her colleague with the intent of saving her glared at the monster that licked its lips after devouring her friend and together with four others conjured a series of dark-blue rings that converged into a brilliant blaze at Efu's position. But the Chaos God appeared, balancing on the woman's broom and swallowed her whole before the nearby troopers could react.

Several more witches joined the attack in order to give their colleagues who were covered with the yellow gue time to retreat to a distance where Commander Blauch's huge white-haired Tuscany Second Lieutenant Saveria Neri could release them from the substance.

#Troopers! We will employ a binder spell to stun her and then attack with a solar flower!# The orangette telepathically transmitted.

The witches flew towards the walls of the main hall and from there created a series of dark-yellow orbs around a giggling Efu which contracted one after another until each wrapped around the girl with the long blonde ringletted pigtails in a bright flash.

But before they could use their main attack the vicious glutton teleported next to a muscular black Scottish witch with short red-painted dreads who froze in fear before she was swallowed.  
Next, Efu devoured a tall and stout witch from the Charolais with short-cropped white hair.

Monika roused her troops for attack after attack, but Efu seemed unfazed at everything they threw at her and was too fast to evade.

* * *

"They're getting massacred!" Akko angrily exclaimed while behind the group gathered around the crystal ball the last of the other witches were stepping through the gate which brought them to what many witches humorously called WC HQ. "Do any of you need another reason to join the battle?!"

"The one you just mentioned is more than enough for me!" Hannah yelled in the glaring brunette's face as she collared her purple vest.

"Please don't fight at a time like this!" Diana admonished in a loud and clear voice, gaining the attention of all of her friends.

"I agree that there is something we can and should do. The dimensional entrapment spell from Beatrix Cavendish should have some effect and if it does it might give the SDD troopers a chance to use a more powerful attack."

"I will allow no such thing!" Samantha Badcock protested as she came closer.

"Well, someone has to do something," Amanda defiantly told the unimpressed woman with the short green cloak over her purple tunic.

"I agree," Chloé Thiry stated to everyone's surprise.  
"What do you think, Headmistress?" The beautiful young woman with the short sandy blonde hair of which a fringe was attached to her forehead by means of a silver clip in the shape of a trout turned to Miranda Holbrooke who appeared in between her two employees.

"Have you forgotten that we have a duty to these children's parents, Professor Thiry? I do not feel that someone who only just joined the teaching staff should attempt to overrule their superiors," The teal-haired Vice-principal scolded the younger woman.

"I share your concerns, Professor Badcock. But these are no ordinary students," Miranda Holbrooke calmly declared. "These amazing girls are the nine new witches."

"Since when are Barbara and I part of them?!" Hannah panickedly protested.

"That is right," Professor Badcock argued. "And as such we are under extra obligations apropos these girls."

The next minute, however, the diminutive woman unexpectedly calmed down.

"But It is true that we are pushed with our backs against the wall," She sighed.

"What I propose is to accompany our students, so that we can cast the spell together with them and protect them at the same time," Her friend and Headmistress with the red jacket over her purple teacher's uniform smiled.

* * *

Lucia and Saveria concentrated a volley of blue energy orbs at Efu while their commander joined the ten other women who remained of her battalion in desperately maintaining a construct of transparent walls with rainbow swirls around the monster that had been devouring their colleagues.

"I hope you are done marinating in fear, my sweet juicy witches," The girl with the long blonde pigtails chuckled. "Because I'm coming for you!"

Monika Blauch still managed to cast a powerful explosion spell as Efu appeared right beside her. The last thing she saw was the monster's gigantic mouth opening up around her.

Lieutenants Lucia and Saveria gritted their teeth and prepared to use what was probably going to be the last attack of their lives when Efu sensed an enormous amount of magical energy behind her.

"So you think you are a real gourmand?" A loud clashing voice called out to the frowning internally startled creature that was facing the remaining SDD troopers.

"Meticulously fed on the finest Japanese dishes during early childhood!" Efu heard as she slowly turned around and was aware of a bright light coming from the source of the magical power.

"Close maternal attention in order to limit stress-hormone production and strict attention to physical health and study management!"

The bright light shone into Efu's field of vision as her eyes landed on its source.

"Resulting in a grade-A hardy stocky Japanese brown!" Akko proudly proclaimed with her arms akimbo while balancing on her broom front and center of the grim-looking nine new witches and their teachers.

"Come and get it," The brunette growled as she narrowed her eyes.

"Don't wait for dawn to spend your day in the sun," Filiz teasingly whispered into Nela's ear as the blonde and her roommates stood watching the battle from their position in one of the lookout posts in the west wing tower.

"Alright," The Czech hissed back to the Japanese witch to her right while Isabelle chuckled to herself behind and to her left. "I'll tell them to charge."

#Akko!# She unexpectedly telepathically transmitted to her idol. #Start your attack right now!#

#All units! This is your commander, Nela Novotna! We attack now! #

Three groups of three first-year students flew out of the ground-floor hallways of the school building and positioned themselves right behind, and slightly before Efu on her right and left.

"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"  
"Yaan seres teene' creen ti'le ka lima ma'alob!"

"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"  
"Làak'o'ob xokaj u entender le ka ono ma'alob, we'esik le bejo ti' le ka hiku ma'alob!"

Sophia, Abigail, Lely, Norah, Myriam, and their classmates loudly proclaimed the spell Filiz and Isabelle had used during their battle against the armored witch as their dimensional center was fixed in the seventh dimension and their position relative to one another trapped the confused Efu in their midst.

#We have to use the spell now!# Akko loudly transmitted to her friends who all nodded their agreement.

"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"  
"Behabban! Anhealdan! Hindrian! Belucan! Scielian! Feorsian!"

Seated on their brooms the nine new witches and their teachers spoke the first words to Beatrix Cavendish's dimensional entrapment spell to the horror of their opponent while behind the Chaos God Filiz, Isabelle, and Nela positioned themselves to use the solar flare reflector blast Akko and her friends had seen them use on the previous occasion they fought a mutual opponent.

"That's the spell they used to trap Ehichapu!" Efu furiously and frightenedly exclaimed.  
"Don't think you are rid of me so easily, witches!" The girl in the pink dress defiantly screamed while she released a gas that spread all around Luna Nova's airspace in an instant.

The witches in front of her, as well as the ones behind her, were quick-witted enough to conjure gas masks over their faces. But panicking, Sophia and three other girls broke formation and allowed their prisoner to teleport away.

"I'll be back to finish your all off after a visit to Oku!" The Chaos God threatened before she disappeared.

"We'll be waiting for you, you bitch!" Akko furiously bit back as her teachers surveyed the remains of the SDD battalion whose colleagues had protected Luna Nova with their lives and wished they had been able to defeat Efu right there.

* * *

 **Six years ago. Paris, France.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **The croissants and pistolets in the wicker basket on our marbled kitchen table smell delicious.**

 **I clothed myself in a light-green summer dress and a beige knitted vest after a quick shower and am placing paté, salami, butter, and peach jam on the table while mama is preparing a pot of coffee at the marbled kitchen counter in front of me.**

 **"How was ballet practice yesterday?" Mama asks without looking up from her occupation.**

 **I sit down in front of our square white plate and comb back my shoulder-length silver hair with my right hand.**

 **"We worked really hard, but it was worth it. There's a general repetition next Saturday, but it's hardly necessary. Everyone knows their part so thoroughly, the Zodiac Dance will be a success for sure!"**

 **"So confident," Mama giggles while I saw through my pistolet.**

 **"Well, Miss Arianne keeps complimenting us on our mastery of the choreography. And I can see for myself how well the other girls and boys move to the music," I say as mama approaches the table dressed in a black-and-yellow vertically striped shirt and a dark-blue flannel skirt with her loose blonde hair draped over her shoulders.**

 **"I always knew you would be great at dancing," She says as she pours my cup of coffee first.**

 **I found out a few years ago that mama wanted to be a ballet dancer once but stopped going to the lessons because she didn't like her teacher.**

 **"I have a nose for talent after all," She continues.**

 **I giggle boisterously as she touches her long nose.**

 **"Dorothée! What have you done now?!"**

 **Startled by the sudden exclamation we both look towards the door of my father's work-room.**

 **Papa storms through the door dressed in a blue jeans shirt with a tie decorated with footballs and blue jeans trousers holding a besmeared framed picture in his hands.**

 **"My Space Girl lithograph is completely ruined!" He whines. "Why?!**

 **My father's Dragon Cube Omega comics have become somewhat of a success. He recently received a lithograph from an artist he admires greatly who has become a fan of his comics.  
** **It's this lithograph he is holding up that mama apparently besmeared.**

 **"Now, now, Akira-sensei," Mama teases. "Do you think such graphic depictions of nudity have a place in a room that is frequently visited by your impressionable daughter?"**

 **She doesn't know that I have already seen what kind of porn they both watch on their laptops.**

 **"That is not the reason why you did this and you know it! Why must you still be so petty about the debt my parents left us with? I told you that I am saving up to buy our house back! It will take a few years, but the Dragon Cube Omega merchandise is selling very well and I have been contacted about a cartoon adaptation!"**

 **Mother pulls her magic wand out of her pocket and with a quick movement a big bucket of water appears above my father and pours liters of water out over him. Mother and I burst out in laughter.**

 **But papa just stands there as the bucket and the water on the floor disappear.**

 **When our laughter finally subsides he slowly turns around and walks back to his work-room.**

 **"You are an unreasonably mean woman, Dorothée," He quietly says while water drips from his soaked blue shirt.**

 **It is hard to say for sure because of the water, but I think my father was weeping.**

 **Imagine that: Weeping over a drawing! My parents are such children sometimes.**

 **"What?" Mother frowns as she brings a buttered croissant to her mouth. "Why are you looking at me like that?"**

 **I roll my eyes and eat my pistolet.**

 **"No mercy for the croissants," Mama grins and bites greedily into the pastry.**

* * *

"Hey, guys! Remember to watch your backs when you go home!"

Ryuko's colleagues laughed heartily at the joke while they drank their tea, took a look at the roster for the following day on the whiteboard or donned their coats.

The public greenery staff room with the emerald-colored linoleum floor, the kitchen with the beige cupboards to the left of the entrance, and the eight white tables and simple office chairs neatly arranged in the middle of the room was crowded after a hard day's work. Everyone was itching to go home.

"You are hilarious, Hirotomo!" Ryuko dryly reacted while taking her long dark-blue winter coat from her locker and putting her arms through the sleeves. "Remind me not to care about the wellbeing of people who laugh in the face of danger."

"Well, it's just that you are warning us every day to watch out for those kids you went to school with," Hirotomo Matsuo laughed while he pulled his green bomber jacket over his light-beige knitted sweater.

"Like I said: These people aren't a laughing matter. They're capable of doing anything to the people I care about, just to get back at me," The blackette in the dark-blue winter coat and the black jeans trousers grimly spoke.

Her other colleagues walked out of the door to the hallway one by one with a smile on their face, but nonetheless aware that people of whom Ryuko Matoi spoke like that must be a reason for caution after all.

One of them reflected, paused in the door opening and threw a last look at the young woman who was closing her locker and his friend in the bomber jacket who as the only one among them never drank anything but alcohol, coffee or soft drinks.

"Hey, Matoi. Maybe you should just talk things over with those people. You may find them to be much more reasonable now then they were in high school," He kindly advised.

"And if those people are as dangerous as she says, I think you should heed her warning a little more, Takara."

The two of them frowned at their colleague while he showed them a wink and left.

"Alright, Matoi," Hirotomo chuckled while he patted his colleague's shoulder. "Thank you for worrying, but we'll be okay. See you tomorrow."

Ryuko quietly watched the thirty-something man in the bomber jacket and the grey trousers leave the room and huffed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hirotomo was walking through the quiet neighborhood that brought him from work to his home, where his wife and seven-year-old daughter were waiting for him.

On the way, he had bought a few chicken legs, a loaf of bread and a new pair of scissors for trimming his mustache.

He was looking forward to a good dinner. His wife was a great cook. Osaka women make the best chefs.

"Help! Help!"

The black-haired man with the modest forelock peered into the alley to his right. All he saw were the sidewalls of a few houses on the right and shrubbery to the left  
Then, about fifteen meters into the alley he noticed some movement where he remembered an old outside lavatory.

Hirotomo ran up to the street and found a black-haired young man in a blue-sleeved red fleece coat and white trousers struggling with a beautiful young woman in black trousers and a light-grey winter coat.

"Hey, you!" He yelled as he pulled on the guy's arm. "Let her go!"

As he wrestled his opponent the park maintenance worker suddenly felt two strong arms grab him by the collar.

"My hero!" Zeynep Osdemir grinned as she threw Hirotomo on the hard stone floor of the smelly public lavatory. "Yigit said this wasn't going to work and ironically attacked me when I said he was a useless fool, but I do believe we have caught our prey. Didn't we Berren?"

"This certainly is the man I have been shadowing. Yes"

Hirotomo anxiously looked from the blonde young woman and the young man who were standing over him to the brunette in the purple trousers and winter coat who was standing with her back to him and the others.

"Hirotomo, is that you?" Zeynep smiled as she revealed a sharp tanto from a long black scabbard bound to her right arm.

Hirotomo remembered Ryuko's warning and frightenedly tried to get up, but as he did, Yigit got behind him and restrained him.

"Keep quiet, hero," The powerful young man hissed in his ear. "We're going to give you some marks, so everyone knows you're our property now."

"Let me go!" I'm not even that good a friend of Ryuko! I…"

"Yigit, you fool!" Zeynep exclaimed as she stopped her victim from talking by holding her dagger at about a centimeter from his left eye. "You should have gagged him by now!"

"Me?! Why didn't you do that yourself, oh illustrious Zeynep?!" Yigit sarcastically challenged.

Their disagreement was violently interrupted when Zeynep got hit by the full body-weight of her younger sister and fell down on the alley floor.

Hirotomo fearfully looked to his left, where Ryuko stood with an angry scowl.

"I've been doing some thinking," The young woman in the dark-blue winter coat and the black trousers said. "It doesn't really matter what forbearance I show you guys, you'll never get the message unless I teach you myself you'd better put your energy into something else than endangering my friends by serving you the beating of a lifetime.  
Let him go, Yigit. Or I'll hurt you more than you can imagine."

"I'd like to see you try," The young man growled as he pushed his victim from him and pulled two halves of a billiard cue from the soft cue case that hung over his shoulder.

Zeynep got up and attempted to cut Ryuko's throat, but the blackette grabbed her arm by the wrist and headbutted the other woman who fell down again.

Berren attempted to kick her opponent's legs but received a kick in the stomach that had the young woman with the yellow unilens sunglasses gasping for air.

Yigit swung the billiard cue half in his right hand towards Ryuko's head, only to have his adversary grab the stick and pull it out of his grasp before repeatedly beating him on the head and back until he lay on the floor without movement.

Zeynep swung at the blackette's legs with the cue her brother had dropped while he was being beaten up, but Ryuko jumped up, turned around in the air and kicked the young woman with the shoulder-length blonde hair in the face before she landed on her feet and hit Berren in the face with her right elbow.

Ryuko kicked Yigit in the stomach as he tried to get up and booted his back several times. Then she caught Berren who had jumped up with the intention of kicking her against the head and slammed the brunette into the floor after swinging her body against the head of her sister who attempted another attack with her dagger.

The furious life-fiber enhanced woman held Berren up against a wall and gently beat her into submission. Then she let the young woman fall down and punched an attacking Zeynep in the stomach before bending over the reclined blonde with the bloody nose and beating her up.

"I… told you… that I was… out of your league… now… Let it end...here! Nobody has to know about this… and we don't ever have to meet…"

A series of loud explosions startled Ryuko. She heard screams coming from the street to her right. The ground shook as if an earthquake was taking place.

The confused blackette looked ahead and found Hirotomo lying on his back, leaning on his elbows, and looking up frightenedly at his colleague.

"Hirotomo!" Ryuko yelled as she ran up to him and got him to his feet. "Go home! Go home! They won't bother you anymore!"

The man covered his ears and nodded before he started to run down the alley while the loud bangs continued.

"Thank you, Ryuko!" He yelled before another series of explosions shook the ground again.

Ryuko ran through the city to the place where the sounds of the explosions were coming from. She ran at top speed. The crowds she passed were distraught by the noise and showed each other the screens of their smartphones.

She ran past the cars driving on the highway through Minato-city and then Shinagawa-city, where fleets of ambulances and firetrucks joined her as the sounds of the explosions became louder still.

A bullet train passed her by in the opposite direction on her left where Wangan Road was bordered by low shrubbery.

Office buildings and later the bridge of the Wangan Line were on her right as she jumped from truck to truck with on her left Tokyo Seaside Bird Park's long wall of trees. From then on, traffic was shut down completely and chauffeurs met on the road to discuss what was happening while the loud bangs forced them to cover their ears.

On the bridge over one of the channels which separated the coastal islands of Tokyo ba,y Ryuko could already see the light of the explosions.

Finally, when she was running along the road again and saw the red-tiled roofs over the picnic tables of Ryokuko Park the young woman with the red streak in her black hair jumped over the crash barrier and ran down toward the park's grassland coastline.

The explosions continued relentlessly as she started to walk slower.

When Ryuko reached the cobblestone tiled steps and walked down to the corner of the park where white fences bordered it from the water of the bay she finally stood still.

Standing amidst the shrubbery of the seaside park she saw Haneda Airport burning about a hundred meters away from her on the other side of the channel. A continuous bombardment from the ocean side rained down on Tokyo's biggest airport, creating a sea of fire all along the horizon. As she turned her head she could see projectiles being fired toward other areas of the metropolis.

"What? … What the hell is going on?" The blackette muttered as she breathed in the strange mixture of seawater scent and the smoke of burning buildings.

She sensed the vibrations of her smartphone through her clothing and numbed by what was happening she fetched the device out of her coat pocket with her mouth open.  
She had received a text message from Nonon.

Ryuko didn't feel better about her day when she read the message.

"I know what is going on, but no matter what you think you can do to help you need to come home right now. I have to tell you something very important," Nonon had typed.

The blackette grimaced and slid her smartphone back into the pocket of her dark-blue winter coat.

Nonon and Satsuki's secrets would have to wait. She was going to help the emergency services save as many people as she could before she went home.

* * *

 **Five years ago. Paris, France.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **Gym class is over and me, Adrienne, Jennifer, Aimee, and Manon are toying with Nancy in the dressing room with the wooden benches and the boring grey concrete floor and grey CMU unit wall while we wait for the others to get dressed for class.**

 **Nancy is a quiet chubby blackette with big poodle-hair who always puts a smile on our faces.  
** **She is sitting in between Jennifer and me on the bench in a knee-length red dress and white ballerinas.**

 **When she is about to put on her top I stop her.**

 **"Look! Adrienne, Manon," I dryly call with a suave grin.**

 **My friend with the blonde bob who is dressed in blue jeans and a pink sweater with a flower pattern and my friend with the shoulder-length black hair who is wearing white linen trousers and a white sleeveless vest with a bunch of little blue stars on the breast pocket over a green shirt come closer.**

 **"What's up?" Aimee asks and walks towards us after she pulls her head through a blue jumper.**

 **"Look at theeese," I sing while I point at Nancy's nipples. "Duchesse is getting breasts."**

 **"Oh my, Duchesse!" Jennifer laughs. "Good girl! You must be so proud of yourself!"**

 **Aimee laughs out loud as her friend with the dark-brown ponytail who is wearing a brown skirt and a cream-colored polo-shirt uses the dog-name we came up with for our classmate after I found out that Nancy has a cat she calls Duke.**

 **"D… Don't. Mother says I have to tell you to stop treating me like a dog," Nancy mutters with a grimace.**

 **"Don't cover your breasts, Nancy," I say.**

 **Stupidly she does as I say and with some quick movements and a little help from Jennifer and Manon who restrain her arms I use my black marker to turn her nipples into eyes and draw a dogface on her belly.**

 **Adrienne, Aimee, and our other classmates can't help but laugh as we hold struggling Nancy's arms to show them the drawing.**

 **"That's very good, Isabelle," Marie chuckles with a hand over her lips. "Are you going to become a body-paint artist?"**

 **"I'm going to follow in my father's footsteps," I proudly state as I slip the marker in my pocket and comb back my silver hair with my right hand.**

 **"You could make a lot of money doing a comic about Duchesse," Jennifer chuckles.**

 **"Stop!"**

 **Nancy jumps up and away from us, but as she does so her exclamation sounds like a yelp.**

 **Every girl in the room is laughing out loud.**

 **"Stop… Stop it…" Nancy whines as she flees to the faucets to clean off the black marker fluid from her body.**

 **By the time she succeeds in wiping most of it off the other girls are leaving the room.**

 **I still giggle loudly with Jennifer, Adrienne, and Manon by my side while Nancy quickly dresses in her white shirt and pink sleeveless vest.**

 **As she sees Manon and me laughing she pouts angrily.**

 **"Let me tell you something, Isabelle!" She says.**

 **My friends hoot and cheer.**

 **"Oh? You have something to tell me?" I ask with a cool expression. "What's that?"**

 **"You laugh like a hyena," She says.**

 **That makes me giggle even louder than before and my friends join in.**

 **While I spot how moist her eyes are Nancy turns and storms out of the dressing room.**

 **Duchesse is so much fun. School is never boring with her in our class.**

* * *

Oku's long red, orange, and yellow dress was violently swept hither and thither by the wind in the darkness of the night as the Chaos God surveyed how the fleet she had assembled from all over the world had successfully taken out Japan's ports, airports, military bases, and television stations in their surprise attack.

The highest-ranking among the officers under her mind-control had just sent the ultimatum to the national diet that unless Satsuki Kiryuin was delivered to them in 48 hours they would recommence bombarding Japan's major cities.

One thing that bothered the slender tanned girl with the long black ponytail was the ridiculously low amount of casualties.

"You are having a good day," A honeycombed voice behind her remarked.

After all, Oku pondered, she might really need the assistance of her visitor.

Another thing that bothered the creature was that after all that her fleet had thrown at it, Perfect Fusion HQ wasn't so much as sullied by a spec of dust.

Clearly, her fleet was going to need a helping hand.

"Helloooo!" Efu clapped in her hands as she teleported in front of the other Chaos God with her pink dress and long red sash flapping around in the wind. "Can you stop ignoring me?!"

"I asked you where Eri and Ehichapu are and you just shrugged," Oku cutely huffed while she turned around and started to walk back and forth with her hands joined behind her back over the cloud the two girls occupied. "Why are you expecting me to give you more conversation than you provide me with?"

"Who knows where Ehichapu is?" Efu smiled while floating around in a reclined position about two meters above the clouds. "That loser always acts like he's better than us. As for Eri, last I knew he was fighting the witches in Syria."

"Witches?" Oku giggled. "The two of you are so inept. Our enemy is right down there," She said while pointing the finger of her right hand downward.

"Their master is situated in Tokyo and while they have been spreading all over the world, they have actively pursued better medical and psychological care, better access to quality food and water, as well as prevention and cessation of civilian and military conflicts. They are the reason why you have been feeling unwell, "Oku coldly smiled at her visitor with a tilt of her beautiful face while her long black ponytail trailed behind her.

"So they are the reason we have been feeling unwell?" Efu confirmed as she looked down at the islands beneath her.

"Yes. If you can find Eri the three of us will put a stop to their antics," Oku smiled as she spun around on her heels with her hands resting against her back.

"Why would we need him?" Efu chuckled as she landed on the cloud again and walked up the other girl while the wind played with her long blonde ringletted pigtails. "We can do this on our own. "

"We have been a great team in the past," Oku smiled as she watched what was going on at the Lightning Strike Robotics factory. "Although we often went our own way, unlike Ehichapu we enjoyed working together on occasion."

Efu screamed silently with wide-open mouth and eyes transfixed from the excruciating pain she was experiencing as the tanned girl in the fiery dress burned her up slowly by inserting her finger in the blonde girl's belly.

"It's a pity you took to eating Eri to gain more strength," The girl with the long high black ponytail continued leisurely. "Because I always felt you made such a great team."

Oku turned to feast her hellish red eyes on the immobile smoldering body of her victim who was being consumed by steadily burning flames.

"But nobody knows better than me what disastrous decisions can be made in warfare through panic.

Really," The Chaos God giggled. "Coming here, thinking you can defeat me in battle is too much. But I am grateful for the extra power."

About half of Efu's body was already disintegrated by the flames. Oku tilted her head to see the fire burn through the blonde's half-consumed head.

"A nice slow flame is the best way to get as much of your power as possible. So I have to save your gas-filled belly for last."

Slowly the defeated Chaos God who had the entire European subcontinent on its knees burned up in the darkness held aloft on Oku's pointer finger.

At last, about eight minutes later, anyone who was looking up at the right moment from the burning cities of Japan could see the bright flare in the sky which signaled that there was no more impediment to the expansion of the Fufian Imperium on the old continent.

* * *

 **Three years ago. Paris, France.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **"... And so, ultimately, instead of consolidating power for his heirs, much as was the case with Akechi Mitsuhide before him, the actions taken by Toyotomi Hideyoshi only served to facilitate the rule of another warlord," Monsieur Corbier states while surveying our class from his position in front of the blackboard dressed in black trousers and a black shirt like a priest.**

 **"After the instability of the Sengoku period, Tokugawa Leyasu was able to take advantage of Hideyoshi's accomplishments and establish a lasting rule for his heirs over the now unified Japan.**

 **Now… After this unification, as we have seen with the reconquest of Spain and the Kingdoms of France and Great-Britain during the religious wars and as we will see with the formation of the modern Turkish, German, and Italian states as well as the Russian and Chinese revolutions, the people who came in charge adopted a nationalist policy in order to facilitate their rule. And as so often happens in these cases minorities are either persecuted or forced to adopt the dominant culture.**

 **Veronique, can you read the passage about the persecution of Japanese Christians, please? "**

 **The lithe blonde girl with the boyish haircut sitting at the desk in front of me jumps while a loud gasp escapes from her lips.**

 **That alone is enough to give the whole class a good laugh.**

 **" Alright, be quiet everybody!" Mr. Corbier at last orders while scratching his large red beard. "Veronique, pay attention to the lesson, please. Can you read the passage about the persecution of Japanese Christians on page 114?"**

 **The girl in the white trousers and light-green shirt apologizes and turns a few pages in her history textbook.**

 **At the moment she is about to read I slip my hand into my backpack, activate my training wand, and whisper an incantation I've heard my mother use.**

 **"Christians would create statues of the holy Mary and disguise them as the Buddhist deity Kannon representing clemency and kindness…"**

 **"No, no. That's not how the passage begins," Mr. Corbier interrupts. "You're too far along in the text."**

 **"When the priests… danced?"**

 **Several of us snicker.**

 **"Leyasu ordained that… Christians were to be fed cotton candy?" Veronique confusedly mutters.**

 **Jennifer, Charles, Ahmed, and Ifedimma burst out in laughter.**

 **"Alright Veronique, you can stop reading. You can spend the remainder of the lesson in the hallway."**

 **"But it's not my fault, Mr. Corbier! Someone keeps tampering with my textbooks and changes entire lines into gibberish!"**

 **The entire class laughs out loud. I probably giggle louder than anyone.**

 **"You keep doing the same thing in everyone's class and you keep coming up with the same excuse…! And I would appreciate if the rest of the class didn't indulge Veronique's behavior!" Our exasperated teacher exclaims in vain.**

 **"Who could possibly tamper with your textbooks?! There is nothing wrong with your textbooks in any case!" Mr. Corbier says as he takes Veronique's book in his hands and looks over the passage now that the spell has run its course.**

 **"There is nothing wrong with this textbook. You need to stop playing around and start taking school seriously, Veronique! You seem like a nice enough girl to me, but I cannot rate your tests based on looks!"**

 **Manuel whistles and the class bursts out in laughter again.**

 **"That's enough!" Mr. Corbier yells as the palm of his hand violently hits the surface of Veronique's desk. "Veronique, go outside!"**

 **"But it's not my fault!" The whiny thing starts to cry. Really, how lame to weep over something like this!**

 **"One of them did it!" She tearfully whines as she points in Manuel and Charles' direction.**

 **"Hey! You're a big attention seeker! Don't blame me for your nonsense!" Charles loudly protests as he stands up.**

 **"Charles! Sit down!" Mr. Corbier yells. "Veronique, go outside! We can talk about this after class, but you need to calm down first!"**

 **At last, Veronique gets up and walks out of the classroom with a lot of show and tears.  
** **Jennifer and I share a look while she closes the door behind her.**

 **28 minutes later, after class ends, we all leave the classroom for lunch.  
One by one my classmates greet a quietly pouting Veronique with a jovial: "Hey nut, seen any dancing priests out here?" or "I altered a whole page and left you a few funny messages in your Latin grammar textbook, check it out later." **

**When the last of us leaves she goes inside. I loiter in the long hallway with the white walls and the large windows for a while, looking out into the schoolyard.**

" **Hey, Bella," Charles says and comes closer for a kiss. He's dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt with a leather jacket. Charles smells nice and feels warm. I feel like cuddling with him, but I want to do something else first.**

" **Is it alright if I go to the toilet first before we eat together?" I smile. I got a little problem. I wanted to take care of it quietly, but…"**

" **Ah! I'm sorry. I'll leave you be. I hope it doesn't hurt too much?"**

" **No. It's okay. I just… You know?" I giggle while I play with my hair.**

 **After he leaves me I use a basic invisibility spell and walk back into the classroom. Mr. Corbier and Veronique look up, but they're not bothered by the door opening on its own.**

" **... I just want to know why you keep doing these things," Mr. Corbier says with a kindly face while he sits at Veronique's desk beside her and leans his chin on his right hand.**

" **I swear, Mr. Corbier… The sentences just change. I wouldn't do anything like this on purpose," The blonde girl in the white trousers and light-green shirt whines.**

" **But you say it never happens when you're at home. Then what is the reason for your bad test results of late?"**

 **She has bad results because she flees into her romance novels instead of studying. I've seen her loan out loads of them in the library. She would have better results if she'd study sufficiently.**

 **But she's afraid to admit that of course, so she just sulks.**

 **Mr. Corbier heaves a sigh and sits up.**

" **Dyslexia is stress-related, so it would make sense if you aren't bothered by it so much at home."**

 **Veronique turns a dismayed face towards our teacher with the big red beard and the wild hair.**

" **I am going to discuss this with the other teachers, but if it's alright with you I want to talk with your parents about seeing a specialist…"**

 **At this point, I have to teleport into the hallway. I swing my wand and from there I quickly run to the toilets and go into a cubicle to giggle myself silly.**

 **I can't believe my little jokes may be sending Veronique to weekly visits to a therapist. That is so funny!**

* * *

"Thank you for coming, everyone," Nonon said with her eyes on her joined hands as they rested on her lap.

She couldn't find the courage to look at any of them. But least of all Ryuko and Rei who were sitting opposite her in the cream-colored leather sofas in Satsuki's large living room.

The pinkette was wearing a salmon-colored tuxedo and top hat, having been conducting a performance at Suntory Hall when the attacks occurred.  
Shiro Iori was sitting to her right in dark-green trousers and vest over a pale pink shirt.

To the master tailor's right, with the silver-colored home cinema behind them sat Ira Gamagori in lotus position on the gold-weave carpet with the burgundy nightingales and roses wearing a black sweater and white trousers.  
Mako, who was dressed in an orange sweater and a short red skirt over black stockings sat comfortably on her kind giant fiancée's lap and in his embrace.

"It seems our nation is under attack from a super-powered God who has us surrounded by their enormous fleet manned by mind-controlled people from all over the world.

You might say we are in a fine mess indeed..."

Ryuko watched her uncharacteristically bashful friend with the pink hair state the obvious with a grim look on her face.  
She had been working hard with the emergency personnel at the airport removing luckily mostly living people from the rubble.  
The young woman who was now sitting wearing blue jeans and a warm white pullover next to Rei Hoomaru had been perplexed by how many people they had been able to find still alive and in most cases unharmed even, but she was glad of it.

She had no idea, however, how they were going to protect the people of Japan if the government didn't give in to what was probably only a bogus demand and released Satsuki to their besiegers.

It seemed all communication with the outside world was cut off. Not that the outside world wouldn't start to wonder what was going on with Japan soon enough.

"Are you alright?" Rei asked with a gentle nudge.

Ryuko looked into the concerned eyes of the young woman in the black skirt and white sweater who was wearing her frizzy hair loose and nodded with a chipper smile.

The blackette knew she had been acting strange and melancholy lately. She was also aware that her behavior hadn't escaped the notice of her friends. She knew that her friends assumed her sullen mood of late was related to the situation of her sister.

That was only half true.

Ryuko was completely in the dark about the reason for the melancholy feelings that had started to well up inside of her even before Satsuki had returned to Japan.  
But she knew that her current mood was very much related to what she expected to hear from the people sitting opposite her.

"... We do however have a way to fight back," Nonon stated.

The blackette with the red streak in her hair gritted her teeth.

Uzu, who sat close to her in the cream-colored leather sofa opposite Satsuki's silver multi-media set wearing a green vest over a blue T-shirt crossed his black-clad long legs as he listened to Nonon with crossed arms.

To his right sat the teal-haired acting CEO of ShelteR Inc. and in between them, Sucy, the teenage witch who had managed to fly in from her temporary school in Jakarta to visit her boyfriend before just before the blitz-attack.

Both were listening with equal curiosity to the young woman in the salmon-colored tuxedo and top hat.

"I… I know that many of you are going to be shocked, disappointed, and hurt. Furious even. But… It was in dread of a situation like this occurring that Lady Satsuki asked Shiro to secretly keep a portion of the experiment which nearly destroyed Osaka a second time and furnished him with a laboratory where he could assiduously strive to succeed in their original goal."

Ryuko exhaled laboriously. Nonon glanced up to see the park maintenance worker glare down at her black stockinged feet.  
Then the pinkette turned her face to the right and saw Mako look up in concern at a very sad looking Ira.

"So the three of you decided to keep mind-raping life fibers while we already saw what can happen when you eventually drive them berserk," Ryuko growled.

"No," Shiro interrupted. "I decided to talk to them."

Uzu and Hoka frowned at the diminutive young man with the pale-blonde ponytail.

"You what?" The former delinquent with the dark-green hair spat.

The girl in the blue dress and green vest next to him shared a look with her boyfriend in the grey business suit.

"I theorized that since the life fibers we have been keeping alive in my underground laboratory are cut off from the original life fiber  
if I isolate them from each other they would have nobody to communicate with.

Then I thought: What if a life fiber isolated from the others could be taught to reason like human beings?"

"But life fibers are alien organisms who exist for nothing else but to procreate themselves," Uzu underlined his words with a sweeping gesture of his right arm. "How the hell can you try to reason with them? Besides, didn't we already try that?"

"I remind you of Senketsu, who did reason like a human being," Shiro said as he pointed the index finger of his left hand at the ceiling. "I am aware of how exceptional Senketsu was, but he proved that it can be done. And we failed before because of the original life fiber's influence.

Regardless," The young man in the dark-green trousers and vest over a pale-pink shirt continued as he rested his left hand on his knee and gesticulated with his right. "I wanted to try and have them reason like a human being but found that to be a hard goal to reach for. So I set my aim a little lower."

"Animals?" Rei frowned.

"Yes, animals. I asked Satsuki to have my underground laboratory altered to allow for vegetation to grow there. It was a highly costly affair, but we both felt our goal was worth the cost. Then I selected the youngest of our life fibers and housed them amidst a species of animals each. The animals we used were all trained to obey human commands. "

"This sounds ridiculous," Ira Gamagori grimaced. "But to think that Lady Satsuki would keep this a secret from us and endanger hundreds of thousands of people again after we barely averted the disaster in Osaka…"

"After several weeks the life fibers reacted to the behavior of the animals they lived amongst," Shiro interrupted.

"What?" Uzu frowned.

"No way," Hoka muttered while sitting back and crossing his arms. "Wouldn't the life fibers try to feed on the animals?"

"You see," Nonon helpfully explained, reinvigorated by the excitement of being able to talk with her friends of the success she and her fellow-conspirators had achieved. "Life fibers are social creatures too after all… in a way. They are organized in a hive structure centered around the primordial life fiber."

"Correct," Shiro nodded. "Isolated from the other life fibers and with the animals as their only constant companions they sought to communicate and grew to adopt the reasoning and certain behavioral patterns of their companions. Since we took care to feed them well their most primordial need was not on their mind.

When their caretakers fed the life fibers with synthesized human blood they fed them together with the animals and I made sure to have them spend much time interacting with the life fibers and their companions."

Ryuko and Rei gazed at Shiro in wonder.

"When I found that the life fibers had made an emotional attachment to not only me and my lab partners but Satsuki and the veterinarians and caretakers who regularly came by and were very well paid by Satsuki in order to keep our project a secret, I decided that it was time to make costumes out of them."

Everyone in the room was gaping at Shiro.

Everyone except Ira, who was sulking, and Mako who was hugging his hulking chest and kissing his face in the hope of cheering up her fiancé.

"So you think you have created Goku uniforms from life fibers who have adapted to living with domestic animals?" Hoka inquired in a doubtful tone while Sucy was lost in thought.

"They aren't Goku uniforms," Nonon quietly corrected.

"What?" The young man in the grey business suit reacted in disbelief as he and Uzu Sanageyama simultaneously sat forward in the cream-colored three-seating leather sofa.

"We have created animal-themed Kamui for each of the former student-council members," Shiro calmly stated while leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees and the bridge of his nose on his hands which formed a raised steeple. "And I guarantee that all four of you will be able to wear them and unlock their full potential.

We haven't just been working on creating a new kind of more docile Kamui, you see," Shiro grinned. "My research team has also been investigating the radiation life fibers emit. As you know, thanks to horizontal gene-transfer, you all have been imbued with the latent powers of the Kamui and the Goku uniforms you have worn."

Hoka, Sucy, Uzu, Ryuko, Rei, Nonon and even the still sulking Ira were now all paying attention to their friend with the long, pale-blonde ponytail while Soroi went round and filled their teacups.

"A portion of those latent powers manifested themselves in combat with the clones which Miss Hoomaru created," Shiro continued as his uncle filled his teacup. "Except for Ryuko, none of you have been able to show sign of those powers again. But when we managed to analyze the life fiber radiation we found a way to temporarily and perhaps permanently unleash the powers of your clothes within you."

Satisfied with his explanation Shiro finally sat back and drank his tea.

All this information took his audience some time to process.

"Alright then, let's gear up and bring the fight to that Oku bitch," Ryuko spoke up.

"Gearing up is not going to be something we can do right away sadly," Shiro said as he saw the young woman in the blue jeans and the white pullover move to get up from her seat. "I will have to expose every one of you for several hours to a machine we developed which emits radiation similar to that which the life fibers produce. And you are all going to have to spend some time getting acquainted with your Kamui before you wear them."

"Domesticated life fibers," Uzu smirked. "I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. But it seems we haven't got much choice if we want to stop this Chaos God from bombarding the whole of Japan."

"I would like to analyze your data right away before I submit to this radiation if you don't mind," Hoka Inumuta stated while he adjusted his yellow glasses. "We have no time to lose in our current predicament."

"Yes," Ira agreed to the relief of a smiling Mako. "My personal feelings about Lady Satsuki keeping your dangerous experiments a secret from the rest of us aside," The giant man growled as he raised himself up with his girlfriend sitting on his left shoulder. "I think we should hurry to wherever your laboratory is so that we can engage our enemy as fast as possible."

"I think we all agree on that," Nonon nodded as she got up from her seat, followed by Ryuko and Hoka.

"Do you have a Kamui for me too?" Rei asked Shiro with a determined scowl.

"I have the Kamui I created for Lady Satsuki, which I believe will bond easily with you," Shiro said. "But just like Ryuko, I believe you have even greater potential on your own."

"Then I look forward to joining the rest of you in battle for the first time!" The young woman in the black skirt and white sweater exclaimed.

"Well, we're more than happy to have such a feisty new ally," Ryuko grinned suavely.

"I have to keep an eye on you in your sister's absence after all," Rei grinned back as she shook hands with the blackette.

"I think I have been taking care of that very well on my own, home-wrecker," Nonon teased.

"I think you are all forgetting that Mako has been taking care of Ryuko long before any of you joined us," The young woman in the orange sweater and the short red skirt over long black stockings smirked with crossed arms from her position on her fiancée's left shoulder.

"You guys..." Ryuko blushed.

"Taking care of Ryuko is a job for more than one person," Ira smiled. "But she more than makes it worth the trouble."

"I'm very happy that you are all on board with this and get along so well," A monotone voice interrupted the cheer. "But I think it's best that I help you realize what you are up against."

Everyone looked at the still sitting Sucy, who had remained quiet this entire time.

The one eye visible between the young witch's long violet hair stared sternly from her boyfriend to the other people in the room.

"Regardless of the enormous power all of you bring to the table, Oku is a magical creature that currently possesses an amount of magical power which is only surpassed by Yggdrasil itself. I do not think I am exaggerating if I state that he or she is more than capable of rearranging every celestial body in the galaxy according to their wish and snuffing out every life in it at random. "

"What?!" Ira exclaimed with a horrified look in his eyes. "If they possess that kind of power…"

"Why haven't they disposed of us all? Because we are its life source. Or rather the release of our suffering in the shape of negative fuel spirit is. Contrary to the Chaos God known as Ehichapu the other three are only interested in making us suffer."

"Still," Ryuko maintained. "There must be a way to fight this monster."

"If there is," The witch in the blue dress and green vest returned the serious look of the life-fiber enhanced young woman "It is a way you will find together with the supernatural defense division of the Witches Council. And with what magical power any of their scryers will by now have found to be hanging over Japan I guarantee you that they will be sent here soon enough."

* * *

 **2,5 years ago. Paris, France.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **It is noon and I am sitting in the school cafeteria with Charles, Jennifer, Aimee, and Ahmed.**

 **Charles is sitting to my left, looking very handsome in his white linen trousers and a white sports jacket with red and green accents. He has his arm around my waist while I feed him Brussels sprouts dipped in Dijon mustard.**

 **Veronique is sitting at a table in front of us, wearing blue jean trousers and a pink blouse.**

 **The tables in the cafeteria seat six. Three people on either side. There are five tables per row. We are seated at a table along the left wall of the hall. The table ahead of us is empty and Veronique (who from today onwards will forever be known as "Jambon") sits at a smaller two-seating table ahead of that one.**

 **The reason Veronique sits at the smaller table is that it is near the door to the toilets. The silly cow thinks that she can hide away here during lunchtime, but sitting here only makes her stand out more.**

 **This morning Brigitte asked Veronique if she could see her notes for English because the one thing that girl is useful for is her neat handwriting.**

 **Brigitte nor Veronique, however, knew that I had prepared a little practical joke with our pale Jambon.**

 **So, when Brigitte took the book containing Veronique's English notes and opened it she burst out in a loud giggle and with a hand before her mouth held the book up so everyone could see the slices of bacon that were stuck to the pages.**

 **I never laughed so hard in my life. I don't think most of my classmates ever laughed so hard.**

 **"I watched Dragon Cube Omega yesterday," Ahmed casually mentions.**

 **I look at the boy in the grey trousers and the blue shirt.**

 **"Your father sure can write!" He says after he gulped down his iced tea and scratched his wavy black hair. "The first season was hilarious, but it's gotten even better.**

 **"I know," I giggle. "I have a little spoiler for you by the way..."**

 **Ahmed listens intently.**

 **"The season two finale won't be at all like in the comic."**

 **"Really? I loved that part in the comics. When Montero's gang lay siege to the headquarters of the dragon-slayers craft and the knight is making love to his wife in the main turret. Hahaha!"**

 **"You'll love this even more," I say and show him a wink.**

 **"Hahaha! Charles, what are you doing?" I hear Jennifer chuckle.**

 **When I look to my left I see my boyfriend throw Brussels sprouts at Veronique's head.**

 **"Are you regressing, Charly Brown?" I ask the muscular boy with the spiky brown hair next to me.**

 **"I think Jambon needs to eat more veggies," He giggles as he keeps throwing sprouts at the dumb girl's head.**

 **Just come over here and pour your drink over his head, dumb cow. Why are you just sitting there? You're really asking for it.**

 **"Hey, Jambon!" Jennifer laughs while she uses her fork to throw her little carrots at the dumb cow with the short blonde hair. "You can have my veggies too."**

 **Other kids start throwing food at Veronique's head and calling her Jambon. Some of them aren't even in our class.**

 **I sit back and eat my sprouts and meatloaf with an annoyed expression on my face. This is so childish.**

 **Finally, that dumb girl gets up and runs to the ladies' room. Tears are cascading down her cheeks as she loudly weeps over her own stupidity.**

* * *

After the attack on Luna Nova everyone who was involved in the school's defense was interviewed by officers from the supernatural defense division and therapists from the department of welfare.  
Under Samantha Badcock's directions, Luna Nova's trolls and orcs went to work once again to repair the damage to the main hall.

Eventually, it was decided that the evacuated students could return to school under the protection of no less than four SDD battalions.

The second morning after the attack, Sarah Bernhardt and Elfriede Förster woke up in a cleared out spot near the forest with their bare feet toward the remains of a bonfire.

About a dozen second years had gone out there to cast a protection spell over the school together Saturday evening and made a small party out of it. Afterward, they slept out in the open together.

The girl with the long Venetian blonde hair who had slept with her arms around her girlfriend slowly opened her eyes to find five SDD troopers talking at the edge of the forest about fifteen meters away.  
She was surprised to be gently kissed on the lips by the brunette in the dark-blue trousers and grey knitted sweater next to her.

"Good morning, Red Bernie," The girl with the hime cut giggled. "Seems like the others left us behind."

"Don't call me that!" Sarah whined with an embarrassed grin and buried her face in her girlfriend's armpit.

"Hey! Don't cling. You're too hot with that white sheep-wool sweater and that green winter coat you're wearing," Elfriede complained in her slightly nasal voice.

The redhead whose long hair fell down her left side as she got up took her girlfriend's hands in hers and pinned her down. Sarah blissfully returned the brunette's naughty grin before kissing her several times.

She loved Elfriede's cute voice.

Suddenly the tall Canadian felt her body float up. Her girlfriend was lifting her up and giggled as a surprised Sarah looked down at her.

Gently tipping the redhead over and pinning her down while her dark-brown hair curtained down and over her girlfriend's shoulder Elfriede caressed the other girl's nose with hers before planting several soft kisses on her lips.

"No fair," Sarah whined when she stopped. "Bernie wants to push you down too!"

"I said: No clinging," Elfriede whispered as they kissed again.

"That's very worrying news," A short green-haired witch in the light-blue SDD uniform with an eagle's tail-feather through her hat said to a bespectacled tall blonde colleague while they kept watch over the girls out by the edge of the forest.

"No communication since yesternoon. Japan became a blind spot in the international communications network. They've sent out boats and planes to investigate, but no news's come from them, "Caitlin grimaced.

"Padmavati told me the Council has scryers busy on the situation and it doesn't look good," A stout Bulgarian witch with a round face and curly blue hair who wasn't very talkative ordinarily spoke in an ominous tone.

Her four colleagues turned to her with curious looks.

The witch with the green ponytail quickly glanced at the two girls they were watching and their five colleagues about thirty meters further who were guarding the girls in the magiconstruct room.

"What did she say? Luljeta whispered.

Maryia grimaced and looked the greenette in the eyes.

"She said it doesn't look good. Terrifying is the word she used," Maryia pointedly said. "The scryers said the amount of magical energy gathered over Japan is terrifying."

"We better get to the cafeteria if we want to get something to eat," Sarah told her girlfriend. "It's almost nine.

Elfriede who was still lying on top of the redhead, combing her hands through the other girl's long hair and taking in every inch of her face with a big grin, slowly crawled up and squatted in front of the remains of the large bonfire.

Sarah got up and dusted down her white trousers and sweater while she watched Elfriede wave her arm over the blackened wood.

The brunette carefully touched a branch and used it to stir the bonfire. Slight whiffs of smoke rose up from it and Sarah could see some still smoldering ash.

"We could smoke some chestnuts and mushrooms?" Elfriede smiled as she got up and stood before her girlfriend in her dark-blue trousers and grey knitted sweater.

"Chestnuts and mushrooms?" Sarah grimaced.

"It's not like we're going to get anything very different in the cafeteria," Her girlfriend shrugged. "It'll be romantic."

Sarah heaved a sigh.

"I don't really want romantic food," She haughtily stated. "I want a real meal."

"Don't you want to make a morning walk through the forest with your cute girlfriend?" Her playful classmate teased while she slowly came closer.

Sarah told herself to stay firm. She wanted to go back to the main hall, have breakfast and shower together. Especially that last part was important. But Elfriede was showing her a very unfair expression as she held the redhead's hands in her own and kissed the taller girl on the lips.

"Alright…" Sarah finally said. "We'll make a deal: We'll both stand in the edge of the bonfire as long as we can and the loser has to do what the winner wants.

"Huh?" Elfriede reacted in surprise. "Okay."

Both girls carefully walked barefoot onto the blackened branches over the still-smoldering bonfire. The five witches who were keeping guard over them asked themselves what kind of tomfoolery those Luna Nova girls were up to now.

"No moving your feet, alright?" Sarah smiled as she and Elfriede stood still and felt the heat rise up to their feet through the ashy wood they were standing on.

"Alright," The girl with the dark-brown hime cut replied with a nervous giggle. "It's getting hot very fast though."

Sarah felt the heat penetrate her skin. It was starting to sting a little.

"Are you alright?" Elfriede grinned. "Let's not overdo this, okay? There's no need to blister our feet over breakfast."

Her girlfriend with the long Venetian blonde hair chuckled nervously.

Elfriede wondered how long she was going to hold out. The wood under her feet was feeling very hot now, but she figured she could take some more.

Sarah winced as the heat stung the soles of her feet and forced herself to stand still.

"This is getting really painful," Her girlfriend chuckled.

The redhead in the green winter coat and the white trousers grimaced in pain and whined aloud as she ran out of the ashes and dances around in the dust outside of the fire ring.

"Are you alright?" Elfriede laughed with the SDD guards as she calmly walked out of the bonfire.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! It stings!" Sarah exclaimed as she sat down and gently rubbed her soles.

"Here, let me," Her girlfriend snickered as she kneeled before the tall redhead and took one of her feet in both hands.

"What are you…?" Sarah nervously began as the brunette in the dark-blue trousers and grey sweater started to kiss her foot. "Don't do that… There are people watching."

"That didn't bother you earlier," Elfriede giggled. "I see no blisters. Your soles are just a little red. Do they still hurt?"

"I can't tell," Her girlfriend blushed. "Your kisses tickle too much."

Elfriede paused her kisses and looked up at the taller girl with suddenly reddened cheeks.

"Hey," She muttered in her slightly nasal voice. "Maybe we should hurry to the cafeteria and get a quick breakfast so we can take a shower afterward? We probably smell from sleeping out all night."

Sarah nodded her agreement while looking at her girlfriend with large eyes.

Elfriede got to her feet, took the other girl's hands in hers and pulled her up.

After a quick spell that properly extinguished the fire the couple went on their way to the school's entrance via the edge of the forest, until Sarah stood still with a surprised look on her face.

"Do you feel that?" She asked.

"Huh?" Elfriede frowned. "Oh yes"

Both girls stood still in the grass right in front of the wall of trees in front of them.

"There's an entrance to a magiconstruct room here," Sarah remarked in a suspicious tone.

Elfriede heard some movement to her left and both girls turned to see a handsome SDD officer with a blonde bob walk up to them.

"It's alright," The young woman told them with a gentle smile. "A group of first-year students has been in there for practical study since yesterday noon. We've been keeping a tight watch. When they got permission from the headmistress they agreed with us to go get back to the main hall in two hours' time from now."

"Practical study? After what happened? Those girls mean business," Elfriede said.

"You don't suppose it's Nela and Filiz?" Sarah asked her girlfriend.

"I can't tell you," The SDD Officer smiled. "But there's a bunch of them in there. Sixteen girls in all."

"Wow!" Elfriede exclaimed. "It's like a boot camp. Well, a two-day boot camp," She giggled with the gentle young woman before her.

Sarah watched her girlfriend's cute nose and listened to the music of her laughter. Then her eyes roamed downwards along the brunette's muscular left arm and her tight bottom cheeks which were so pronounced in the dark-blue linen trousers the shorter girl was wearing.

Elfriede felt someone stealthily hold her left hand.

"Thank you for so dutifully guarding us," Sarah told Joline. "We are very grateful for all that you do for us."

"Oh!" The blonde bobbed young woman blushed. "You're very welcome. We don't want anyone to get hurt by those Chaos Gods. And it would be a great loss to the future of witchcraft if your education were to suffer from everything that's been going on."

"Yes. Thank you," Elfriede agreed as she squeezed her girlfriend's warm hand. "We better get going now though if we want to get something from the cafeteria."

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "It was nice meeting you. See you later."

"See you later," Elfriede echoed while both girls hurried into the direction of the school's entrance.

Joline followed them with a confused gaze while she walked back to the four witches under her command.

"But… We didn't even exchange names," The bewildered young woman grimaced.

"Guarding young lovers, Joline?" A cheerful teasing voice came from behind her.

Joline Juhlin's heart skipped a beat. She turned around to see the beautiful face of her energetic girlfriend smiling at her.

"Julia!" She exclaimed. "Why are you here? You're not on duty yet."

"Do I have to be on duty to pay a visit to my girlfriend?" Julia Judice laughed while she was very obviously hiding something behind her back. "I came to bring you a treat. I'm very excited about what I managed to do."

"Have you been baking?"

Joline gingerly tried to peek behind the shapely body of the witch with the luxurious long flowing hair she loved so much.

"Nonono," Julia teasingly scolded. "You have to close your eyes and open your mouth."

Joline smiled adoringly and did as she was told. Then a rich creamy substance with divinely sweet flavor was squeezed onto her tongue.

"Instant Custard Injection!" Julia exclaimed.

Joline exulted in the sweet flavor of the custardy substance before she swallowed and opened her eyes.

"Real custard!" She frowned in disbelief.

Julia held both of her hands up. In each of them, she held a pastry bag.

"The one in my left hand contains a spotted dragon bread-based custard I am very proud of," The blackette smiled. "The one in my right hand contains a custard I just made from fresh milk that was brought to Luna Nova this morning from Blytonbury. It still hasn't gone bad."

"That means…" Joline muttered.

"It's a little too early to tell, but these past months milk has been turning sour an hour after it left a cow's udders. But yes," Her gorgeous girlfriend laughed. "It probably means I can fill you up with my pastries again!"

Joline let herself be overwhelmed by the good news and the lively young woman who brought it.

The handsome Lieutenant with the blonde bob stood in the arms of her slightly taller girlfriend and softly pressed her eyes shut as the black-haired Portuguese turned the body of her sweet Swedish girlfriend and superior limp with one of her usual electrifying kisses.

* * *

Sophia couldn't bear it anymore. If it wasn't for Isabelle's spell which suppressed the reflex she would have puked enough to overflow the cursed enchanted putridly smelling bag she and the other fourteen first years were wearing over their head and would have choked in it

Correction: fifteen. That crazy bitch was mad enough to subject herself to this horror with them.

"You are all doing very well. Congratulations" The French witch's voice resounded across the magiconstruct drill room wherein they had been subjecting themselves to their classmate's exercises. Sophia was among the hardiest of them. Most of the others had had a much harder time of it. The exercises were heavenly to the broad-shouldered Greek.

But this humiliating and disgusting group punishment made her want to beat that unilens-wearing giggling nut into a hospital.

"Alright! That was three hours! You can take the bags off now," Isabelle at last announced."But I advise you to maintain that proudly erect position!"

Sophia hurriedly but quietly relieved herself from her torment and looked around.

The other girls still stood straight on the black-and-white tiled room wherein the cold wind seemed to come from all directions. Isabelle had said that they were to learn that hardship was a constant in life and that relief came from fighting together in service of those weaker than yourself.

It was a motto somewhat like that of the SDD… But not quite. Behind the ridiculous words was an edge that had nothing of noble intent in it. Sophia was well aware that the person in charge here didn't have a grain of compassion in her.

All the girls who had been drilled here with her these past weekends had followed orders out of terror or out of adoration.  
But none of them had any idea of what lay before them.  
The girl with the three silver pig-tails on either side of her face who stood sweating in her purple uniform with them knew that things could only get worse if they did manage to defeat the Chaos Gods and avert the apocalypse.

"What are you looking so furiously for, Lieutenant Demertzis?" Isabelle asked as she walked around the girls under her command who were stood back to back in groups of three in V formation and tilted her head to look the Greek who headed the formation in the angry eyes. "Wasn't it your ambition to join the SDD? Being part of our militia will greatly enhance your chances, I promise."

Sophia scowled at the girl with the purple bob and the yellow-tinted unilens sunglasses.

"You may speak," Isabelle dryly stated.

"May I? Why thank you, Commander Hochedé. I was just wondering what purpose it served to submit us to this punishment for three entire hours. It seems a little redundant seeing as the monster we fought will have eaten us a hundred times before she will ever dream of subjecting us to this treatment for such a duration."

"Come now, Lieutenant Demertzis…" Isabelle giggled while she walked in between her troops. "I think you have had to endure harsher treatment than this, have you not?"

The big Greek's knees trembled in reaction to the allusion. But she managed to suppress the memories. Paradoxically, she had to admit, these drills had given her greater mastery over her mind.

"That is true…" Sophia growled. "And in spite of what you think, I will always maintain that I did not deserve any of it."

Isabelle's footsteps stopped. Then they slowly came closer. Sophia was aware that the French girl was standing right beside her.

"We have been over this many times," Isabelle stated in a slightly annoyed tone. "I don't see how you can keep denying what evil you have done."

Sophia's sudden harsh laugh resounded through the room and scared the hell out of several of her fellow recruits.

"You may think you are somehow finding redemption for the _evil_ YOU have done, Commanderrr Hochedé… But we both know that there is nothing wrong with pointing out to a few freaks how ridiculous they are. And nothing that you do will ever change the fact that what you think you did wrong can never be undone."

Sophia slowly turned her face until her classmate's sunglasses reflected the cruel eyes of the large grinning witch.

"You may be right about the latter," The girl with the purple bob slowly and sadly replied while their classmates listened with bated breath. "It's a sad truth that I cannot change what I have done to others in the past… But I hope that what I do now will create a better world for them or their loved ones in the future."

* * *

 **1,5 years ago. Paris, France**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **"What would you like for meat, chou-chou?" My father asks me while we wait in line for the outdoor buffet in the schoolyard.**

 **The school barbecue is a big success. Students and their parents are flocking among the yellow plastic cocktail tables with large en-tout-cas whose poles pierce the tables through the middle.**

 **At a little distance from the barbecue, three long tables covered with white paper tablecloths are stacked with a variety of dishes and meats. Four en-tout-cas on plastic stands filled with water are placed strategically to protect the food from possible rainfall.**

 **"Ah, Akira!" Mr. Jakubowicz, who is manning the barbecue dressed in grey jeans a cream-colored vertical striped shirt and a green apron, calls out to my father. "Good to see you. Are you enjoying yourself? What can I please you with?"**

 **"Hello, Jacky," My father smiles in return and waves with the plastic cup of beer in his left hand while trying to keep his couscous with piperade Basque on the cardboard plate in his right hand. "So they have you sacrificing your free Saturday, huh?"**

 **My father and Mr. Jakubowicz have been getting along since my mother cast a spell on papa one time that made him belch several times during a parent-teacher meeting.**

 **Papa felt humiliated, but Mr. Jakubowicz once suffered from anxiety-related excessive burping and bonded over it with him.**

 **"Oh? This isn't a sacrifice to me. I love standing behind a stove. And I love standing behind a barbeque even more. Say, Isabelle," Mr. Jakubowicz turns to me with a laugh. "You sure like those cool yellow sunglasses of yours, don't you? I'm sure you'd wear them in class if you were allowed to."**

 **"Don't I look good in them?" I ask with a smile and a slight movement of my hips that makes my light-green summer dress sway around my body.**

 **"Of course you do," My English teacher assures me while looking past me at the people waiting. "Haha. I guess we'll have to catch up later, Akira. Gotta keep the line moving."**

 **"That's right. What will you have, Isabelle?" My father asks.**

 **He looks good in that orange shirt and those white summer pants I bought for him.**

 **"I'll have a drumstick and a brochette, please."**

 **"Can we get two drumsticks, a brochette, and a hamburger, Jacky?"**

 **After Mr. Jakubowics serves us our meat, we retreat to one of the plastic cocktail tables with our cardboard plates and eat.**

 **"I'm a little nervous," Papa finally confesses.**

 **I look at his red-framed glasses that rest on his big nose.**

 **"And at the same time, I can't wait for your mama to get home from work this evening. She'll be so thrilled that I managed to get our old home back."**

 **"I think she will," I smile. "But don't get your hopes up. And remember she'll be tired from work."**

 **"Right. I know," My father nods and looks down at the piece of hamburger he pricks on his fork. "Thank you for staying over at Jennifer tonight," He smiles.**

 **"You know I don't mind that. We'll have a blast."**

 **When are you going to figure out that it's not the loss of the house she blames you for but the fact that you accepted the debts your parents made through selfish debauchery before their accident?  
That's what I want to say. But that's their mess. Let them figure out how to live together. In less than a year I'll be rid of their childish quarrels. **

**"We sure will!"**

 **Jennifer hangs her right arm around my shoulders after approaching us from the direction of the buffet. She is wearing a loose red-and-blue checkered short-sleeved shirt and black jeans which show that she's been gaining weight. She doesn't mind though. Especially since her boyfriend, Vincent, keeps saying he likes her a little fatter.**

 **"Hello, Mr. Joubert. Are you having fun?" The brunette with the two short pigtails asks with a big smile as she takes a sip from the cup of Cola in her left hand.**

 **"Yes, Jennifer. Hello. Thank you too for having Isabelle over."**

 **"I wouldn't say no to having my BFF over for the weekend," Jennifer says while I return her hug with my left hand. "Bella is gonna leave me all alone soon enough."**

 **"It's still more than eight months before I leave. We'll have loads of fun till then and I'll call and text you lots."**

 **"You better," Jennifer says while she steals a roasted carrot from my plate.**

 **"Hey, Mr. Joubert!"**

 **Papa looks around and is immediately caught in a hug by Ahmed and Charles.**

 **"How are you doing, Mr. Joubert?"**

 **"How's the food?"**

 **"Hello, Charlie. Hello, Ahmed. Nice to see you."**

 **"Hey, you have to meet these friends of mine who came to the barbecue!" Ahmed says while he puts his arm around papa's shoulders.**

 **My father doesn't really mind talking to fans. But I know he wanted today to be about family. I watch him make half-assed excuses for a while, but I can see that he's changing his mind and kind of wants to meet those friends of Ahmed.**

 **"It's alright, papa," I say while Charles, who is dressed in baggy beige trousers and a white PSG T-shirt, glances at me.**

 **Papa gives me a doubtful look.**

 **"Let me have some girl talk with Jennifer for fifteen minutes," I smile. Then I show Ahmed a stern look. "But I want my father back in a quarter of an hour, alright?"**

 **My friend laughs and walks off with my father and my ex.**

 **"Poor Charles is still having a hard time," Jennifer says as we watch them go towards a group of boys sitting on a wooden bench by the schoolyard wall. "But I can see why he started to bug you."**

 **"Really!" I sigh as I eat my drumstick with a knife and fork. "What kind of relationship did he think we'd have with me on the other end of the channel for three years? He can have any girl he wants."**

 **"That may be true, but he still wants you," Jennifer teases as she pokes her finger in my cheek.**

 **"He had me. People change. People move on."**

 **"You are so mature," Jennifer grins.**

 **I give my BFF a sidelong glance and elbow her in her fat belly.**

 **"Hahaha. I can see that you're in the mood for being teased," She laughs. "Hey, watching you eat makes me hungry. I'm gonna get some more food. Do you want anything?"**

 **"No thanks. Just another cup of Cola," I say as I hand her my plastic cup.**

 **"I'll be back in a minute," Jennifer greets as she heads for the buffet.**

 **I look from her to the large blooming oak tree in the middle of the schoolyard and at the sun shining above.  
** **We've got wonderful weather for what is actually the last day of school.**

 **In less than a year I'll be leaving for Luna Nova.  
** **I never really cared whether it was going to be Luna Nova or the Lycée Des Atlantides or Hexentanzplatz, but I am curious to study at mama's alma, mater now.**

 **I eat another piece of drumstick and hear a dog bark behind me as I dream about my future.**

 **Mama told me to watch out for Professor Finnelan who is really strict. She used to tell me lots of stories about her time at Luna Nova.**

 **What a strange bark that dog has.**

 **I'm curious about the trolls and goblins. I've seen pictures, but it is going to be strange to walk among them.**

 **Now that I think about it, what is a dog doing in our schoolyard?**

 **As I turn around I see a short girl with a black curly bob wearing a knee-length gray dress with horizontal black stripes and a black T-shirt closing her mouth as she is being held closely around the shoulders by a tall boy with wavy blonde hair in beige shorts and a green T-shirt. They are both staring at me.**

 **"Come on. We can go and see a movie. You don't have to do this," Her boyfriend tells her.**

 **She steps forward and he follows close by.**

 **"So it's true," The girl gasps.**

 **I recognize her now. She lost weight and cut her hair shorter.**

 **"What is?" I ask.**

 **Nancy blinks. Then she continues: "I heard about that girl who killed herself. A friend of mine knows her niece.  
It came up because she knows how you used to bully me. She told me Veronique had been bullied since the start of the school year and that her niece thinks that's why she killed herself."**

 **She is visibly shaking. Her boyfriend holds her hand and glares at me. Is the ridiculous Justin Bieber look-alike thinking of beating me up for making fun of his girlfriend in elementary school?**

 **"I didn't think of it that much afterward," Nancy continues furiously. "But last week I saw you enter the school gates and it hit me what must have happened: You finally bullied someone into killing themselves!  
When I arrived home, I went to my room and cried for an hour!  
You and your friends! You killed that girl, didn't you?! You and your shitty classmates thought it was a great joke to humiliate that girl and that's why she killed herself!"**

 **"What is a poodle doing making such a ruckus at a school barbecue?" Jennifer smirks as she hands me my Coke.**

 **Nancy grimaces as she sees my BFF. Her boyfriend pulls on her arm.**

 **"Come on, Nancy," He says. "These ugly bitches don't care. But you showed them you're not afraid of them anymore. Let's not waste our time here."**

 **"You managed to dig up a nice bone, Duchesse," Jennifer chuckles. "I bet you've been gnawing him a lot to lose all of that fat."**

 **"And that's all you're gonna say to her, you disgusting fat bitch!" Justin threatens as he points his finger at Jennifer. "Come on, Nancy."**

 **Nancy isn't moving.**

 **"I don't care what you say or think of me anymore, Jennifer!" She bites. "You and your friends are scum who think that anyone they look down on is only good for their amusement.  
I don't think like you do or act the way you think people should act? So what?! People like you are the trash of the earth. I don't want your respect or acceptance… "**

 **"Veronique killed herself because she was a very sad girl!" I interrupt Nancy. "All we did was make a few jokes, just like me and my friends constantly make jokes at each other's expense.**

 **I don't know why you thought you should come over here and shout abuse at us, but we are not responsible for your or Veronique's low self-esteem.  
How dare you even suggest that our classmates' sad death is somehow our fault?  
You didn't even know her," I coldly say and shrug.**

 **"We don't want any crazy people at our barbecue. So if you can behave yourself you can stay and see for yourselves what fun people we all are.  
Otherwise, I hope you will leave, because all of us are still mourning our classmate." **

**Jennifer, Nancy, and her boyfriend are staring at me.**

 **Nancy especially is transfixed by my grin.** **She gazes through my sunglasses right into my eyes.**

 **"Come on, Nancy," Her boyfriend tries again. "You are right. These people are trash without morals or compassion."**

 **He manages to make her step back.**

 **"You… are a monster, Isabelle Hoschedé," She mutters. "You are a monster. And someday you will suffer as I and Veronique have suffered."**

 **That's the last thing she says before she turns around and walks away arm in arm with her geeky boyfriend.  
Jennifer stands next to me as we** **watch the two creeps leave through the front gate.**

 **Not long afterward, my father comes back with Ahmed and we have great fun dancing and talking.**

 **That evening at Jennifer's place we watch a movie and we talk about Luna Nova and about her boyfriend and what we'll do together and where we're going together with Jennifer's parents on holiday during summer break.**

 **It's a pity I'm going to have to waste half a year before I can go to Wales, but so be it.  
** **I'm really looking forward to Luna Nova. It is going to be amazing. I can feel it.**

* * *

Mary looked up from her book with a sigh as she heard the clock in Luna Nova's belfry sound seven o clock.

The room with the dark cyan walls felt desolate now not only Akko was training with Professor Thiry but Diana was also practicing extremely difficult incantations and meditation with Banagher.

The creature had gloated that it was glad to be making itself useful after suggesting to the platinum-blonde witch that there might be a way to merge the magical powers of her entire line into herself.  
Mary had said nothing. She already knew that he was going to train Diana to perform the Cavendish dynasty alignment ritual in order to legitimize his stay to the Brit who had been showing signs that she was finally starting to doubt his usefulness.

The way things were going they would need all the power Diana and Akko could gain for themselves.

She still hadn't been able to kill the monster. It's like she was up against a unicorn John Mclane.  
Blair always balked at her friend liking such a boy movie, but Mary thought it was funny. And if there was one thing Mary craved it was reasons for laughter.

The girl with the long dark-blue hair rested her book on fusion magic down on the green duvet that covered the bed on which she was sitting.

It was times like these that got her down, when the special flavor of loneliness that was always a part of her since she came to Luna Nova was given shape and she had nothing to do but ponder her many failures.

Mary loosened the red ribbon she had received from her mother when she left for Luna Nova.  
The ribbon her mother had worn around her waist in her second year. The year she had met and had fallen in love with Mary's father.

That ribbon was the only thing Mary had that connected her to her parents.  
She held it in both hands and silently confessed that she had failed another girl. She had made a desperate gamble and had lost a third life through bad judgment.  
And if things continued like this she was going to fail everyone.

Mary knew that at times these Blair or Avery would all too gladly welcome her and cheer her up with their love and warmth. But the young witch knew that she had to honor the life she had gambled away by giving her a proper farewell.  
She kissed her red ribbon and hugged it to her face.  
Then she used it to bind her long flowing hair into a ponytail again. Just like she had been trying to bind herself, unsuccessfully she knew since she arrived at Luna Nova.

A few seconds later the clone she had left by the magiconstruct room where the murderer had taken the body teleported back into the room and turned visible

"She deposited the body near the forest to make it look like an accident," The second Mary nodded to the first one before long threads appeared from either girl that pulled them together until their bodies merged into one again.

Mary waited for about ten minutes, then she donned her shoes and her violet jacket and cape and closed the door behind her, pretending to go out for a walk.

As she walked through the hallway of the place where she had been able to experience joy, embarrassment, friendship, and so many other normal things for the first time she saw Kimberly from the Luna Nova News Network rush past her.

When she arrived on the ground floor other girls and teachers ran towards the front gate talking hurriedly about what they heard had happened.

With a heavy heart filled with guilt and despair, Mary walked through the slightly snow-covered grass towards the crowd near the edge of the forest.

"She must have fallen in-flight and broken her head on the bench!" One girl said.

"Oh, no…!"

"Didn't they have that protection spell cast over them?"

"Yes. But that only works against magic-based attacks!"

Mary hugged her jacket around her as she heard the sound of Filiz's weeping coming from the center of the crowd.  
She had to find a way to end the threat once and for all. It was her responsibility. She had to find a way. She was their only hope.

The bluette walked into the crowd gathered around the girl whose death she was partly responsible for. They allowed her in without resistance.

Chief-Commissioner Karabo was talking to an SDD officer to Mary's left with a broom at their feet and Kimberly and Wangari stood at a distance to the right when the young witch approached close enough to see a pitifully weeping Filiz hug the tall body with the long blonde hair which was dressed in the same violet jacket and wore the same silver ribbon as the Japanese witch near the wooden bench.

The blue-haired witch didn't have many tears in her anymore, but to her surprise, the spectacle managed to draw one from her eye. Or perhaps it was due to the cold wind.

"Nelaaa…. Aaahaaah! Nelaaa… I… hhh… Hwaaa… Nela… I can't do it without you… Nela…"

"Filiz, sweet girl…" Headmistress Holbrooke tried as she carefully rubbed her pupil's shoulder while kneeling beside her. "You have to let go, dear girl. Even if it is for a few minutes. The coroner has to do her job."

The coroner and two Witches Council investigators stood close by. The two women in the light-blue tunics were talking to Professor Finellan.

Mary noticed how several of the girls standing around were weeping and wiping their eyes. Even though many of them considered Nela annoying and boastful and had barely known her.

The latter could also be said of herself, she reflected.

Then she did what had to be done and walked closer to the weeping blackette who was still holding on desperately to the body on the ground.

Mary kneeled down and as her Headmistress got to her feet, trusting that a close friend would be more likely to help Filiz listen to reason than herself, the bluette hugged the Japanese witch.

"Hahaaaa…. Nela…!" Filiz wept without pause.

Mary behaved as was expected of her. Filiz kissed the cheek of the body she was holding with wet lips and Mary indulged her some more.  
Then, at last, she gently pulled on the unresisting girl's body and managed to slowly pull her from the body in the snow.

As Mary lifted Filiz's right hand with which the girl with the black ponytail had been caressing the cheek of the body she had been mourning so pitifully the bluette touched that body at the same time.

A shock went through her frame, but she made sure not to betray her discovery as Filiz's hugged her and wept on her shoulder.

Had she been wrong to despair?

She listened to Filiz's weeping, felt the girl's tears against her cheek and the warmth of her body. Then the bluette looked at the body on the ground.

The body that was so similar to the many others she herself had created that summer.  
The body whose nature she alone would recognize so easily.

Sheltered from the cold of the winter wind by the people she had sworn to protect Mary reflected that just when things were at their bleakest she may have found a reason to hope that trying to do things her way might finally be bearing fruit.

Perhaps, after all, it was possible for unfeeling selfishness and cruelty to be conquered by compassion and kindness.

* * *

End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

watch?v=g-UHaMXRVhw


	12. Chapter 12

Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU

* * *

 **Nine months ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **After having flown to Blytonbury in Britain I followed the leyline from there to the Luna Nova dimension where I was welcomed by friendly third-year students whom I likely will never see again before they graduate.**

 **The Dinas Affaraon chronicle forewarned that there would be a flood of new students in magical schools around the world due to the inescapable transmission of the events that resulted in the revival of Yggdrasil, so** **I was expecting a crowd in the courtyard. What I am confronted with is a buzzing horde gathering from the information stalls manned by the student council representatives all the way to the front gate.**

 **Apart from the formal information stalls the student council also set up a small fair in the park around the school building.**

 **At several stalls near the edge of the forest first-year students can get acquainted with the goblins, trolls, and fairies who are responsible for the logistics and maintenance at Luna Nova, buy small trinkets, or talk with second and third-year students who will answer any questions they have. Although many of the first-years just visit those stalls to have their picture taken with the local celebrities.**

 **After I find Sophia Demertzis, Abigail Laime, and Uaterereta Wankendankuru, whom I became friends with on the Jormungand forum for dragon nerds we gather a few meters behind the closest stalls of the fair near the front gate. Gradually more and more first-year students from non-magical lineage start to flock around us and gawkingly listen to our chit-chat, enthusiastically mingling into our conversation and asking a bunch of questions.**

 **"I heard there will be four classes of about 60 students each in the first year," Abigail states.**

 **"Is that an exceptional situation?" A beautiful soft-spoken Swedish girl with long black hair and a braid along the left side of her face who introduced herself as Myriam Zehner asks with an inquisitive expression.**

 **"If I tell you that the average number of students at Luna Nova has been about 120 since the nineteen-eighties I think you'll have a good idea how exceptional that is," Uaterereta smiles.**

" **And that's not the most amazing thing caused by the revival of Yggdrasil," I add. "We can now freely use magic all over the world without the use of a wand."**

" **We sure live in exciting times," Sophia nods while she's observing a tall girl at the edge of our group with a crooked witches hat who is hunched over something she is holding in both hands.**

" **We sure do!" Sheryl Wright, a short Texan girl with dyed gold-and-green hair exclaims. "Ah done had a talk with that Akko gal earlier. She's a funny sort, but she done seemed real nice. I got a selfie with her an all. I done thanked her and th' other nine new witches for makin' it possible for me t' be here 't all."**

" **Akko is the sweetest isn't she!" A bespectacled Iroquois without magical lineage, who seems a fidgety thing, eagerly nods. "I was afraid a large troll I bumped into was going to flatten me, but she helped me up and introduced us, saying Waaagh is the nicest guy around."**

" **Howdy!" Sherryl boisterously shakes the hand of her equally vertically challenged countryman. "Nice t' meet an Ohio gal out here. What's your name?"**

" **Hello! My name is Tarsha Montour. What's yours?"**

" **Ah'm Sherryl Wright. Ah hope we're in thuh same group together."**

 **"It's true that these are interesting times," Myriam smiles as she gazes at the crowd gathered around the stalls in front of us. "I don't know whether all of this is more confusing for us who only learned about the existence of witchcraft or you, whose community is suddenly exposed to the entire world."**

 **"Lots of people were always aware of the magical community, you know," Abigail smirks. "You're right though. It's been fun to follow the negotiations of the Witches Council with the NATO, but it was kinda scary too. We stood to lose a lot. We've been lucky."**

 **"Yes. I suppose a lot of governments might have tried to take more control of magic schools," Myriam ponders as she slides the braid on the left side of her face back.**

 **"I can tell you the magical community was holding its breath for a while," Her Peruvian interlocutor with the red-dyed hair and the three gold and silver hair locks behind her right ear grins.**

 **Meanwhile, I watch how Sophia uses a spell to pull what apparently is a photograph from the grasp of the hunched tall girl who** **looks up and stares frightendly into the eyes of my grinning friend.**

 **"Hey there," Sophia chuckles as she teleports the girl right in front of us and waves the photograph about. "Is this yours? A gust of wind seems to have blown it toward us."**

 **"I… I don't know," The shy girl mutters while staring at the grass.**

 **"I'm sorry?" I say. "What did you say? Could you speak up?"**

 **"I'm sure she can," Sophia grins as she rests her heavy left hand on the shivering girl's shoulder. "You're not even looking at what I'm talking about. Just look up for a moment. Is this yours?"**

 **The girl frightfully glances up at the large greek with the silver hair. She actually seems quite handsome. For the second that she looks up I notice a strange light in her eyes.**

 **"Can I have that back, pl… please."**

 **"This is a picture of you and Akko, isn't it?" She asks while looking at the photograph. "You seem very happy in the photograph. Do you like Akko?" Sophia laughs.**

 **"Yeah…" The girl smiles timidly as she looks up again. "Akko was amazing when she destroyed that missile, wasn't she?"**

 **"She sure was," Abigail chuckles. "Do you like cool girls like that?"**

 **Me, Sophia, Sheryl, and Tarsha burst out in laughter.**

 **"I think magic is cool," The girl stupidly gushes. "Can you do magic like Akko?"**

 **"Can I do magic?" Sophia grins at me while she makes a long rat's tail coming out of the girl's back end. "I don't know if I'll impress you like Akko did, but what do you think about this?"**

 **Instantly the girl's hat flies up into the air.**

 **"No! My hat!" She exclaims. "Give it back, plea…"**

 **A horrified look appears on her face as she notices that Sophia changed her head into that of a lustfully grinning cat.** **The novice girls around us look at my friend in awe.**

 **"Now that I see how cute you look I'm starting to get an appetite," My big Greek friend leers as she advances on the frightened girl with the black ponytail.**

 **Abigail conjures up a patch of ice behind the girl on which she slips and trips. The** **ridiculous thing shivers in fear as Sophia walks up to her.**

 **"These are all things you can do with magic," I say and surround the girl inside a ring of fire, leaving Sophia who is looming over her as her only way out.**

 **"Please don't eat me!" The dumb cow begs and hides her face with her arms.**

 **All of us except for Uaterereta and Myriam laugh out loud at the spectacle as I make the flames disappear and Sophia changes back to normal.**

 **"Hahaha! Please don't eat me!" Abigail laughs as she imitates the girl's voice.**

 **"Why would I eat you?" Sophia grins. "Are you right in the head?"**

 **The girl with the black ponytail lies shivering in the grass.**

 **"What exactly do you three think you're doing?" Uaterereta coldly inquires as she walks over to the girl in order to help her up. "Do you think it's funny to humiliate someone you barely know?"**

 **"Oh, Uaterereta. Don't be like that," Sophia smirks as she teleports the girl with the black ponytail in front of her.**

 **"We're just having a little fun, aren't we?" She asks and offers the girl her hand.** **"I'm Sophia Demertzis. What is your name?"**

 **"I… I'm Filiz…"**

 **When she realizes how the girls around her are chuckling the weirdo looks at the hand Sophia is shaking and recoils in horror as she notices the limb has been metamorphosed into a tentacle.**

 **"Please change it back!" She whines in an irritating voice. "Please..."**

 **"I will," Sophia smiles. "Right after you get your hat back."**

 **The girl finds herself floating several meters up in the air and tries to catch her hat which is floating just out of her reach to our collective amusement.**

 **"That's it," Uaterereta states as she walks off toward the school building. "I'm telling a teacher about this. I can't believe you bunch are such delinquents."**

 **"Maybe she's right," Sheryl cowardly pleads. "Filiz here dudn seem like she's enjoyin' what ya're doin' ta her."**

 **At that moment a broom comes out of nowhere and hits Abigail in the back of the head.** **Sophia and me watch how she tumbles forward before the vehicle stops right in front of my face.** **I stare in fright before it disappears only** **to similarly attack my big Greek friend.**

 **The shock makes Sophia release Filiz from her spell and the girl nimbly lands with her feet on the broom before she jumps beside Sophia and pokes the larger girl somewhere in the side of her neck.**

 **I confusedly watch Sophia fall over and see Filiz disappear before I feel a sharp sting inside the curve of my spine.**

 **"You'll have to change your underwear after this, yeah," I hear behind me as I fall onto my face.**

 **I manage to turn my head and watch the girl who was whimpering in fear not five minutes ago stride towards Sophia.** **The other first-years are looking on in awe. Even Uaterereta is transfixed. The three of us, however, are literally paralyzed.**

 **"As I said before, my name is Filiz Osdemir," The tall girl with the black ponytail stated in a clear sonorous voice as she folds her arms and pushes her left heel into Sophia's left shoulder. She has a voice like a Queen.  
** **I can't wrap my head around what's happening.**

 **"A word of warning to you," She smiles down at the laboriously breathing Sophia. "Victims of bullying are not the only ones who stand out to those in the know.**

 **Sophia? I would like my coccyx and right arm to be turned back to normal. Can you do this?"**

 **I watch my proud Greek friend grit her teeth. Her face is contorted in obvious pain.**

 **"What did you do to us, you bitch?" Abigail whines as she frustratedly attempts to move her body.**

 **"I merely temporarily paralyzed your bodies, my dear Abigail," Filiz smiles as she moves her heel from a whimpering Sophia's shoulder to her left hand. "Is that a problem?"**

 **The next moment she calmly pushes down on the Greek's left hand and in spite of herself, Sophia weeps miserably.**

 **"I am not fond of bullies, yeah," Filiz continues in a cold threatening tone. "Bullies are weak, cowardly creatures who chose safe prey rather than exert themselves. I like fighters… Do you want to fight me, Sophia?"**

 **"Nooo… Please…." The girl with the three silver pigtails on either side of her face weeps.**

 **"Wrong answer," Filiz chuckles cutely.**

 **Everything else is blocked out from my surreal vision as with beating heart I see how the strange girl who now wears her hat neatly on her head moves her heel slightly and makes her victim howl in pain and beg for mercy.**

 **At last Filiz's arm turns back to normal and her rat's tail shrinks into nothing.**

 **"You wouldn't believe how many ways there are to cause a person innumerable amounts of pain without leaving a mark," Filiz coldly informs Sophia.**

 **She leaves the miserably weeping Greek and walks toward Abigail, standing still about where the fearfully and frustratedly grimacing girl's right leg lies.**

 **"What is your name? "She asks me while looking squarely into my eyes.**

 **I recognize the glimmer in her eyes from earlier. A shiver runs down my spine.**

 **"My… My name is Isabelle Hoch… Hochedé, "I stutter.**

 **"You seem intelligent, Isabelle. I think you know what I want to hear."**

 **"Y… Yes… I will do anything you say," I mutter as I look up.**

 **"Are you kidding me?!" Abigail cries out. "We will take that bitch together in a few hours!"**

 **Filiz pushes the tip of her left foot into my Peruvian friend's right leg just below the buttocks and Abigail whimpers in pain.**

 **"You really are clever," The girl with the black ponytail smiles at me. "I will have to keep you close.**

 **Those spells we were asked to master before the introduction ceremony… " She states aloud while stepping down gently on the shoulder of the weeping and whining girl below her. "I studied them until I knew them inside out. I applied them in every imaginable way. I practiced them until I could use them in my sleep.** **Those simple spells can be quite effective weapons**

 **Within this month, Sophia, I will master everything you can do now. Then we will fight again."**

 **I watch Sophia and Abigail shudder as Filiz casually walks toward the other first-years who have been looking on in silent awe and strikes up a casual conversation with them.**

 **I don't completely understand what just happened. But what I do understand is that I just met someone extremely dangerous.**

* * *

In the fog of the cold first Sunday morning of the new year, 40 beige humanoid mech suits stood lined up along a beach near the capital of Japan confronting the greatest fleet ever assembled in modern times.  
A fleet which in a few hours' time would threaten the lives of every man, woman, and child living in Japan.

Lightning Strike Robotics had produced four different mech suit types. Each one had the same basic humanoid shape but with a translucent dome instead of a head. Each type had one varying feature:

The Hari suit had a drill instead of a left hand.

The Rotarikatta suit had a circular saw instead of a left hand.

The Patanhoiru suit had a thick rotating disk studded with spikes.

And the Kenuki suit was armed with a high-performance claw

Each type of mech suit was supposed to be able to take on a Kamui-wearing human, so their creators reasoned that a naval fleet shouldn't be a problem.

Tsumugu and his partner were quite proud of their accomplishment. Before they started mass production in the Lighting Strike Robotics factory Aikuro had even redesigned the belly's of the suits to have faces on them so that Kenuki grinned his teeth bare, Hari was wearing a mad laugh, Rotarikatta winked, and Patanhoiru glared.  
That way the suits had a little more personality to them. That's what Aikuro had said at least.

"I wish they'd just given us the order to dive and sink those ships. We could have saved the hotheads who stole them afterward," Tsumugu remarked, seated inside a Kenuki suit.

"The other ships would have attacked immediately if we had done that," Aikuro replied through the internal communication system. "Besides… The ships nor their crews are the problem. We're dealing with the God of war. The best we can do is intercept the missiles they fire and pray that the army Hoka's girlfriend promised the Witches Council will send gets here before Oku makes a personal appearance."

Tsumugu scratched his head as he watched the fog drift by and the waves of the Pacific crashing onto the beach. A flock of seagulls that had been squabbling over something edible some of them had found a few meters further along the beach suddenly flew up for no apparent reason.

He could tell that Aikuro was as nervous as he was from the absence of his lover's usual levity.

"What does this Chaos God want with Satsuki anyway?" The brawny man with the red mohawk pondered aloud. "Sucy said she wants to create conflict. You don't think her goal is to try and get Ryuko to go on a crazy grief-stricken rampage by killing her sister do you?"

"I hope that isn't the case," Aikuro reacted, feeling extra anxious now from hearing his lover speculate something he hadn't thought of and now wished he hadn't heard. "Luckily, if worst comes to worst, I trust Ryuko's ability to control herself now."

"Yes," Tsumugu smiled. "Ryuko won't allow herself to be manipulated like that anymore."

Aikuro turned his head, looking at the row of Hari suits to the right of his and then at the Rotarikatta suits to the left of him.  
A soft static coming through the internal communications system made him flinch and throw a dismayed look at his suit's speaker.

"Are you hearing this, Tsu?" He asked nervously as the static became louder.

"Yes," Came the immediate concerned answer.

Both of them had been receiving strange calls for a while now. Ryuko had confessed to being haunted by the same phenomenon one evening in the Big Instrumental.

Tsumugu gritted his teeth. The static became louder still. The sound made his stomach turn.

"This is no crank caller!" He agitatedly spoke. "We might have a serious problem!"

"This is Colonel Asanami!" Is everyone hearing this static through their comm system?"

Aikuro heard all the soldiers reply in the affirmative as the static slowly fainted away.

"This is certainly troublesome," Their redheaded Colonel sighed. "But it seems we can still communicate over the noise."

"Do you think those ghost calls we've been getting were Oku's doing?" Aikuro asked his lover.

"Intentionally? Probably not. "But that enormous magical power of hers Hoka's girlfriend was talking about has probably been affecting the airwaves."

The two men watched the rising waves of the previously calm sea as they waited in silence again.

"Something that's been bothering me for a while now is why are there so many of our suits here?" Aikuro spoke up after a while.

"I know," His brawny tanned lover nodded. "Thanks to Takarada we are now under government control. But I had expected them to employ our suits more equally. He was lucky to get them to deploy five of our 74 mech suits at Osaka."

"It's a strange decision to spread our suits so thinly over the country with such a concentration over here when they told us the enemy is spread evenly along the cost," Aikuro agreed. "But I suppose they expect Oku to strike here herself."

"Well, I hope our other allies understand that there's a lot more Japan to defend than the capital," Tsumugu growled. "Not that there are enough of them to cover much ground."

"They should be about done bonding with those newfangled Kamui's Shiro's team created," His lover and employer said as the rising sea waves in front of him crashed violently on to the beach. "I can't say I'm too happy about what he, Satsuki, and Nonon did. But obviously we are in a position now where we need the products of their deceit to have a fighting chance against this creature."

"Aikuro?"

"Yes?" The flamboyant man with the teal hair frowned.

"Look at your external readings," Tsumugu said. "Something's happening."

Aikuro looked at the computer screen of his mech suit and saw at once what had his lover so alarmed.

The barometric pressure was dropping fast and wind speed was increasing.

"Is that creature creating a typhoon in the middle of January?!" Their Colonel exclaimed. "Those witches better get here fast."

"Our mech suits should be able to maneuver in wind speeds of up to 380 km/h," Aikuro said while a torrent was coming down on the translucent shield of his Hari suit. Luckily the special coating and external lighting were able to maintain visibility.

"That creature can even keep her fleet safe in this weather," Tsumugu observed. "Look at them! The water surrounding them is as calm as a fishing pond.

"This is Hoka Inumuta calling the Lightning Strike-Force! Do you hear me?" Aikuro unexpectedly heard the acting CEO of ShelteR Inc. through the internal communications system.

"Mr. Inumuta! This is Colonel Asanami. Are you bringing us good news?"

Aikuro, Tsumugu, and the soldiers piloting the other mech suits listened intently, hoping for news about the SDD.

"I'm afraid not, Colonel. I only wanted to tell you all in the name of everyone at Perfect Fusion Tea Company that the entire country is proud of your bravery. You may be sure that everyone is worried about your safety, so do not endanger yourselves needlessly."

Tsumugu and Aikuro both frowned at the strange words of encouragement with the wind picking up in speed and the rain pouring down on them.

"Every person in Japan feels deeply grateful to you for valiantly standing in the face of the storm that is threatening us all. But we ask you not to take any rash actions. Believe me when I say that help is on the way to help you take on your fearful adversary."

* * *

 **Eight and a half months ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **"Are you ready, dear Isabelle?"**

 **"Hm-hm," I nod as I stand at my plain wooden desk in our Luna Nova dorm room and organize the books I will need for today's lessons. "Nela better hurry. We are expected in classroom 2 for fundamental alchemy in ten minutes."**

 **"Hahaha!" I hear close behind me. "Nela always takes a long time in the bath, yeah. She's a little proud of her appearance. That's why I was so happy with your suggestion that we both stop studying when you ask us to. Neither of us suffers mentally in the morning from studying so late, but it does have an influence on our appearance.**

 **I approve very much of you asserting yourself like that, Isabelle," I hear her whisper right beside my ear.**

 **The hair on my back stands on end, and I instantly feel a painful pressure in the side of my spine that paralyzes my body.**

 **To my horror I find myself plunging to my doom hundreds of meters above a deserted rocky surface. The wind whistles through my ears and ruffles my Luna Nova uniform as I fall down while my heart races in my chest and** **see the mountainous ground below me approach faster and faster.**

 **With my body paralized I can't conjure up my broom or teleport away so I am totally helpless to the fate that awaits me below.**

 **Fearfully I reason that even with the unlimited capacity for cruelty Filiz already displayed to me and my friends she wouldn't go so far as to kill us, but because it is Filiz I don't know if I can trust that reasoning.**

 **What did I even do for her to do this? I have been obedient and haven't bullied anyone. I even stayed away from Sophia and Abigail after our disastrous attempt to get back at her.**

 **I start to weep as I see the mountains below not two-hundred meters distant from me. The tears are instantly swept from my face by the wind. I feel the blood drawn from my face as my heart beat increases to an insane speed…**

" **Aaaaaaaaah!"**

" **What the hell is wrong with you?!" Nela exclaims behind me in a shocked voice.**

 **I lie over my desk. My face, which is bathed in cold sweat and tears, rests on my arms. My sunglasses are damp. My heart is racing and I struggle to breath.**

" **Isabelle!" Filiz exclaims as she approaches. "What's wrong?"**

" **Is she drunk?" Nela demands.**

" **Don't say such blunt things, Nela," Filiz protests. "It's obvious that our dear Isabelle isn't feeling well."**

 **She uses a spell we haven't learned yet in class to lower my heartbeat and relax my breathing. Then she comes and carefully hauls me up. I'm not paralyzed anymore and in a reaction of fear, I push her away.**

" **I'm…! I'm okay!" I frightfully exclaim.**

 **Filiz and Nela stare at me. Filiz looks so honestly confused I almost think she's not the one who did this to me.**

" **Poor Isabelle. You were so frightened about arriving in Miss Finnelan's class late," The devil with the black ponytail chuckles.**

" **That's exactly it, hahaha!" I laugh nervously.**

" **But you should take some time to calm down," Filiz says in a soothing voice. "Professor Finnelan will understand. She's not as harsh as people think."**

 **I sit in my desk chair and breathe slowly as I watch both of their faces.**

 **Nela hasn't got a clue what's going. She's a strange but sincere girl who doesn't make any attempt to bond with anybody. The only person in our class she ever seeks out is Filiz and she's almost always abrasive with her.  
I wonder what her deal is.**

" **I feel better," I say after pondering my safe roommate calmed me down.**

" **Well… Let's get going then," Nela sweatdrops as she packs her books.**

* * *

 **A few minutes later we are filing into classroom 2. Miss Finnelan stands proudly at her desk waiting for us to occupy our places in the aula.**

" **You better take off your sunglasses, Isabelle," Filiz whispers. "You know she doesn't like it when you wear your sunglasses in class."**

" **Right. Thank you for reminding me," I say as I store away my yellow-tinted unilens sunglasses.**

 **That's when I see her quietly whisper an incantation.**

 **"Aaaaaaaaah!"**

 **Everyone watches how Sophia falls to her knees and grabs her chest with both hands while breathing loudly and laboriously.**

" **Miss Demertzis!" Miss Finnelan loudly exclaims. "Kindly inform us as to the reason of this outburst or sit down at your desk at once!"**

 **I see Sophia's frightened eyes search mine for help. All I can do is stare back fearfully. I wish I could do something. I really wish I could help her… But I don't know what will happen to me if I did.**

 **Sophia rolls onto her side as she continues to hyperventilate. Her face looks pale. Her eyes are bloodshot.**

" **Maybe she's having a heart attack, Miss Finnelan?" Secundila Mosqueda, a tall stout black Cuban girl with two pink braids at the back of her head suggests.**

 **As Sophia rolls onto her back a bunch of teddy bears in multiple colors seem to burst from her abdomen and apparently released from her suffering she lies on the floor, catching her breath.**

 **All of my classmates start to laugh at the conclusion of the torture session that made my friend fear for her life.  
** **In just a few weeks time Filiz managed to turn Sophia into the class clown. There is nobody who has any respect for her except Abigail, Lely Mahklouf, and me.**

 **Is this what life was like for Veronique, Nancy and the other kids I bullied?**

" **Miss Demertzis! Clean this mess up right now and sit at your desk!"**

 **Everyone stops laughing at once and quietly takes place in their seats. Sophia slowly crawls to her feet.**

 **"We are all waiting for you, Miss Demertzis!" Professor Finnelan informs my Greek friend in a tone that makes it clear that she is losing what little patience she has left."**

 **"I'll clean up those bears, Professor Finnelan," Filiz says.**

 **"Thank you, Miss Osdemir," Our stern and straight teacher smiles as Filiz uses a spell that is utterly new to me to shrink the multi-colored plushie bears down to the size of a hand and teleports them out of the classroom. Each of us later finds one of the bears on her pillow. The next day Filiz can't show her face anywhere without being kissed and hugged.**

 **It's like she's a politician.**

* * *

Olek Timoshenko idly watched the beautiful pines and peered up at their high peaks as he walked through the park around Muromtzevo castle.  
It was frustrating, being penned in the castle grounds with not much to do but help out the scientists they had put to work there whenever needed, but they couldn't risk outsiders catching glimpses of what they were doing via mind link.  
Valentina even had witches from the Volch'ya Logovo Lyceum who were part of Rex maintain a magical barrier around the estate so as to make sure scryers nor satellites would be able to detect anything suspicious.

Olek and the other soldiers were there in case anything went wrong.

At least Dacio was here too. The stout Ukrainian in the dark-blue suit couldn't stomach constantly living under the direct command of their overbearing leader without him around.

Since Valentina recruited him into Rex Dacio had taken Olek under his wing and became a trusted leader and a friend to the young man with the spiky silver hair.  
Together they had worked themselves up through the ranks. They had miraculously survived that insane shoot-out together. They had become Fufians together with the other Rex soldiers under Dacio's command.

When Dacio was made captain he chose Olek as his shadow: The person responsible for the wellbeing of the officer he pledged his life to. Every officer in Rex had a shadow who would lay down their lives for them. The trust implied was deeper than anything in civilian life.

Finally, Olek found his captain lifting a BelAZ 75710 haul truck in a glade in the park.

The gigantic yellow vehicle went slowly up and down as the Venezuelan in the dark-blue suit underneath lowered it to just above his head and up again.

"I brought you the Cola I sensed you were longing for," Olek greeted as he stopped walking.

Dacio pauzed his exercises and looked at his shadow. He grinned a greeting and slowly brought the haul truck down beside him before walking toward Olek.

"And…? Do you feel like it has an effect?" The latter asked as he handed his captain the canned Cola he had brought with him and opened his own.

Dacio eagerly swallowed the brown liquid and exhaled.

"I feel the tension in my muscles after about thirty lifts," The man with the shoulder-length black hair smiled as he looked at the vehicle behind him as big as a house. "I feared it would be like doing bicep curls with a water bottle, but I think this thing may do the trick."

"Commander Zhigunova said there are studies underway on how to most effectively exercise a Fufian body."

"Yes," Dacio nodded. "I've heard her say that too. This is just a little personal experiment and a pass-time after all. We used this thing when we installed the labaratories, so I thought I'd put it to further use."

Olek's captain started walking, so he followed the man to a bench over the upturned and tire-marked surface of the clearing they had used to park the trucks which had carried the materials for the labaratories.

"I hope everyone realizes what's at stake here," Dacio said before taking another sip of his Cola. "If those scientists and witches don't succeed in creating what they aim for we will have nothing to stop this growing global dictatorship with. Things will be far worse than anything any of us have known before."

Olek looked at the man who was sitting to his right, leaning forward on the beautiful but besmeared wooden bench.

"Everyone is optimistic that they will succeed with the material our partners in Japan have been able to provide us with," The stout silver-haired young man smiled.

His Venezuelan lover leaned back against the backrest of the wooden bench and draped his left arm around Olek's shoulders.

"My father and mother came here because they always loved this country and believed they would have more opportunities here than in the communist dictatorship they fleed. But when they build their company they were time and again confronted with the realities of Russia's bribery culture.  
My father heroically resisted, feeling that a company that is more efficient and can deliver a better product must be preferred to a company that delivers subpar service even if they offer bribes or have connections. But in the end, he was forced to give in if he wanted to save his company. "

Olek saw the dark look in his captain's eyes and watched him crush the cola can in his right hand.

"I will always hate those sons of bitches for corrupting my parents. That's why when Valentina offered to make me a soldier of Rex and told me we would beat the corruption out of this beautiful country so that effort and talent would finally be rewarded here I did not hesitate.

Together we built Rex out from a small St Petersburg crime syndicate to an organization that has a strong voice in Russian politics. We forced corrupt officials from their positions, got rid of FSB officers on the payroll of our enemies, and destroyed inefficient businesses that only thrived because their management knew the right people.  
In five years' time we became a force to be reckoned with in Russia. But on top of that we gained a foothold in Japan, and starting with Tokyo we took over almost every yakuza syndicate in the country."

Dacio turned his eyes on his shadow.

"We were lucky Valentina caught wind of this Fufian invasion so quickly and was able to formulate an adequate response to the situation.  
The battle we are waging has more at stake than ever. But I am proud to know that I am fighting along men and women who have pledged their lives to Rex and its goals with equal fervor.

We may not survive what comes, Olek," Dacio said as he gripped the other man's shoulder. "But I know Valentina will lead Rex to victory over this new corruption."

"Yes," Olek smiled. "But I promise you I will make sure you survive."

"Hahaha. I know you will," Dacio laughed and stood up. "But if we are successful here I promise that your function won't be an easy one… Come, let's have you lift some weight now," The man grinned and beckoned with his left hand. "Rex won't tolerate its members becoming lazy just because they became superhuman beings."

Olek smiled and followed his captain back to the BelAZ 75710 haul truck. He was happy that as every week he was able to report to his mistress that his beloved captain continued as a loyal member of Rex. His mistress had promised that as long as Dacio stayed loyal, or was dealt with if not, Olek would never have to see or hear from her again as long as he lived.

And she had made sure that, no matter how much he loved Dacio, Olek never wanted to meet his mistress again.

* * *

 **Seven and a half months ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **"So when you look up in the sky, you'll see me flying by, on a Shooting Star!"** **"As always I keep raising that bar!"**

 **As the sounds of their voices and Mary Twycross's guitar die down Filiz and Avery Evans throw each other a high-five under loud applause from me, Lotte Jansson, Barbara Parker, Elfriede Förstner, and Blair Aleramici in our magically soundproofed dorm room.**

 **"That was really amazing!" Blair exclaims as she jumps up from her seat at the head of my bed. "You both have such great voices!"**

 **"And you are really great too, Nela, Jasminka, and Mary," Elfriede, who is sitting at the foot-end of my bed, adds in her slightly nasal voice while still clapping her hands.**

 **"Haha. Thank you, everyone," Mary laughs as she rubs the back of her head. "It's good to know all our practice wasn't wasted."**

 **"What are you saying?" Our proud Nela objects as she carefully puts her bass guitar aside. "I told you we sound like we're ready to perform right now."**

 **"I didn't even know you could play the guitar, Mary," Lotte, who is sitting next to Barbara on Nela's bed reveals.**

 **The little Fin doesn't think anybody is taking notice of them sitting so close together, nor how their fingers are intertwined behind them.**

 **"Me neither," Blair says as she turns her face on the duo. "She used to play melodies for Avery when she practiced her singing. But I had no idea either of them was this good."**

 **"That's not exactly high praise coming from you," Avery grinned. "You are always quick with the compliments."**

 **"Oops! It seems we have a tsundere in our midst," Filiz chuckles as she drapes her left arm over the blushing Canadian's shoulders and covers her lips behind her right hand in mock surprise to Mary's amusement.**

 **"Yeah, yeah. This is important to me, you know," Avery smiles as she cringes under my roommate's teasing grin. "It's a little difficult to handle getting this kind of praise the first time an outsider hears us. And even though our friends like us I'm still nervous about our performance at the party after the first term exams."**

 **"Relax, Avery," Mary smiles kindly. "You have a beautiful voice. It's the only thing you appear to be so self-conscious about, but it's true."**

 **"Right? And soon everyone will hear it, hahaha ouch," Filiz laughs before Avery in an easy amical gesture flicks her finger against the forehead of the girl who used a spell to bind and gag me in my sleep last night and had the skin of my arms and back peeled by a razor-sharp potato peeler for twenty minutes.**

 **"I can't believe you actually got approval from Headmistress Holbrooke and Professor Badcock to hold a party in the cafeteria," Barbara Parker grins.**

 **"Yes," Lotte nods quietly. "Professor Finnelan is really angry about it."**

 **"Yeah…" Filiz grimaces. "I'll have to think of a way to make it up to her. "Mary, Nela, and I are very busy with the student-council and the trolls organizing things so as to make sure everything will go smoothly and she'll have nothing to complain about."**

 **"I think it's a great idea the two of you had," Barbara says. "We need initiatives like that to have the three levels of this school interact more."**

 **"Thank you!" Filiz and Mary smile, standing shoulder to shoulder while Nela states plainly that she was involved too.**

 **"What about you, Isabelle?" Filiz grinned. "You're awful quiet. Did you like our performance?"**

 **Sensing her attention and seeing her bright dark-brown eyes on me turns me pale and reduces me to a shy imperceptibly shivering mess.** **Like an animal spotted by a predator, I see only she who keeps torturing me.**

 **"You were all amazing," I say as I avert my eyes casually by looking at Nela's bass guitar which she leaned against the wall near the door. "Blair is right: you are all very talented."**

 **"Why thank you, Isabelle," Filiz gushes as she wrings her arms and pretends to blush like a schoolgirl.**

 **"I think it's about time for us to start studying," Nela rudely interrupts. "So if the rest of you can leave please?"**

 **"Oh, Nela… Let them stay five minutes more," Our two-faced roommate sighs.**

 **I ponder my fate as they quibble to everyone's embarrassment and amusement.**

 **The three of us have grown into a strange relationship where Nela is constantly trying to outdo Filiz whom she seems to resent for some reason but whom she also adores as much as they both adore Akko Kagari.**

 **At the same time, I have wept bitter tears over the fact that I was partnered with my tormentor. But the truth is that availability is no hindrance to Filiz since she tortures Abigail, Lely, and Sophia as much and as cruelly as me. In the latter's case probably even more.**

 **If my own victims felt even a tenth of the misery and pain I now feel, maybe I deserve what is happening to me.**

 **I have been tempted to write to Nancy and tell her that she got what she wanted in the end. But what good would that do?** … **I think I can understand why Veronique killed herself.**

 **Everyone eventually leaves our room while waving goodbye. I wave goodbye in return.**

 **Nela makes Filiz promise that she won't start studying without her as she also leaves to go to the toilet at the end of the hallway.**

 **Despite everything I am grateful to Filiz for making me see how much pain I have caused others. I flatter myself that she has taken a liking to me. I find she often treats me as her confidante.**

 **She has become more gentle with all of us lately, or so it seems.** **Somehow, since she and Mary became so close there has come a change in her.  
** **I wonder how it was that she and Filiz became friends and how we became so sociable with all these second-year students. We are the only group among the first-year students that have friends among our seniors.**

 **"Does your back still hurt, my dear Isabelle?" Filiz asks cheerfully as she prepares tea for the three of us on an old-fashioned electric hot plate.**

 **I swallow and look up at her as she sits down at her desk not quite facing me.**

 **"No. Your spell healed the wounds instantly," I say.**

 **"Good," She smiles. "It's the first time I used it, so I was unsure."**

 **She watches the kettle on the hot plate and ponders something.**

 **"Perhaps I will peel you again tonight to see if the healing spell works as well on a repeated wound."**

 **A sudden burst of terror makes me feel like throwing up and I double over as I try to control myself.**

 **"Hahaha. Wait a minute more, dear Isabelle. Tea is almost ready."**

 **I wipe the tears in my eyes and watch her read the spines of the books lined up on her desk.**

 **I wonder what she must have gone through to turn out like this and feelings of pity well up from the vague notions of her being the youngest child in a cold and heartless family with absent parents who grew up in two countries that are notoriously unwelcome to people of Muslim descent.**

 **Maybe… If I am the person who can do this for her… Maybe it is the first time she hears these words from someone like me. Maybe they are the words I should say to everyone I've hurt… And to papa.**

 **"Filiz," I start tremulously. "I know this is just an insignificant thing to say after what I imagine you went through…"**

 **She turns her shiny eyes on me and frowns as the water in the kettle starts to boil.**

 **"As a bully myself, I am sorry for whatever was done to you."**

 **She stares at me in disbelief for a second. Then she bursts out in loud and amused laughter, arching her neck backward.**

 **A shock runs through me.**

 **"Oh dear Isabelle," She says as she smiles at me. "I didn't expect something like that from you of all people…"**

 **I think I am looking into true hell as I stare into those eyes that smile at me with such disappointment.**

 **"... What a terrible misunderstanding."**

* * *

"These are fearful times. The enemy is vastly powerful and we need every able witch to help us fight the Chaos Gods. We would not come to you if we did not absolutely need you," A stout Pennsylvanian in a dark-green tunic with shoulder-length dark-brown hair and silver half-frame glasses who looked as if she was about 50 sternly addressed Jasminka, Amanda, Constanze, Hanna, Barbara, Lotte, Mary, a distracted Akko, and a concerned Diana.

The head of the Witches Council's department of education stood to the right of Miranda Holbrooke's wooden desk next to a tall 40-something Argentian with a short wavy black bob which was cut at shoulder length on the left side of her face.  
To the left of the desk with the burgundy linoleum surface Samantha Badcock stood fuming at the dictatorial way in which both women came to claim her students.

Miranda sat in her antique wooden desk chair and observed those wavering students who were lined up before her, lamenting internally that she would be so much more at ease if there was time to send for several packages of Perfect Fusion Tea to turn her students into Fufians before she was forced to let them go on this adventure.  
If the head of the department of education and the head of the SDD had been turned Fufian themselves she might have been able to manage it, but alas, the Perfect Fusion Tea Company had only just begun to conquer the America's.

"We are perfectly aware how grave the situation is, Council Member Sabatini," Her turquoise-haired vice-principal said in a dismayed tone of voice with her arms grimly folded before her bosom. "But I wish to remind you that these girls are only seventeen years old. It is enough of an outrage to our responsibilities as educators that we should allow half of our third years to be forced into military service. How do you expect us to explain this to their parents?"

"These girls are indeed only seventeen," Admiral Muńoz cut in as she glared at the shorter woman. "But they are the famed nine new witches, are they not?! Among them, they can generate as much if not more magical power as the best of my battalions. The entire world has seen them combat a magical threat that might have plunged us into a new world war! If we are going to take on the Chaos Gods we cannot do without them! "

"Not all of them, Admiral!" Samantha argued excitedly before she spoke calmer after glancing at Miranda Holbrooke. "Only one-third of these girls are part of the nine new witches."

"I'm glad someone remembers," Hannah whispered.

"But the other three are certainly among your most talented second-year students," The SDD's tall commander in chief spoke as bluntly as before. "What does it matter who these girls are or what we will tell their parents if we fail and the world is plunged into barbary?! We need all the firepower we can get!"

"As the Admiral hinted: Most of these girls have more combat experience than half the witches in the supernatural defense division," The bespectacled woman in the dark-green tunic with the gold-embroidered V-neck next to the head of the Witches Council's armed forces spoke gently. "Can you resist our appeal for help when several Luna Negra students volunteered to aid in the Syrian sting operation even before this?"

"Phuh!" Samantha Badcock huffed. "I hardly think we are obliged to send our students to their death because Emma Thomas and her friends wanted to play at soldier. Rather you should have questioned…"

"I can't speak for my friends. But I'll go with you."

At the sound of the determined declaration, everyone turned their heads toward Akko who stepped forward wearing a dark scowl.

"I'm tired of sitting on my hands while friends and strangers are dying! The Chaos Gods are directly threatening my home country, my parents, my family, my friends from middle school...!"

Diana watched her friend's body shake as the brunette spoke in a harsher voice than she had ever heard from the girl she loved.

"I don't know about the rest of you," Akko said as she turned her burning crimson eyes on each of her friends. "But I won't allow anyone else to get hurt anymore! For my family who loves me, for the friends we lost over the summer, and for Nela…" She swallowed as her voice cracked. "I will fight to free the world from this threat."

"I'm going too," Amanda stepped forward. "You need someone who makes sure you don't jump into the heat of the battle without thinking."

"I'm going too," Lotte said firmly.

"And me too," Barbara agreed while Constanze and Jasminka eagerly stepped forward with their chin held high.

"I will come too," Diana said while taking Akko's left hand in hers.

Hannah nervously stared at the floor and gritted her teeth before looking her best friend in the eyes.

"Why are you so eager to do this?" She sissed. "Aren't you frightened?"

"Of course I am," Barbara imploringly smiled at the redhead whose eyes slowly filled up. "But deep down I know that I'll be alright because Lotte will be with me. Lotte is one of the nine new witches and she is so powerful, Hannah."

"Diana will be there!" Lotte blushed. "Diana has become like a God herself now she managed to perform the Cavendish Dynasty alignment ritual. I don't know how the Chaos Gods can stand a chance with her there."

"And Akko will be there to save the day if things go wrong," Doesn't it seem funny that we can trust in Akko to do that now?" Barbara giggled nervously." Don't you feel that everything will be alright with them around?"

"I don't want to do this," Her redheaded friend grimaced as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"But I would feel so much more assured of our victory if you will join us too, Hannah," Barbara pleaded as she took her best friend's hand in hers.

"Me too. Please come, Hannah," Lotte smiled and held out her hand.

Hannah wiped her eyes with a sniff and slowly raised her head to look at her two friends.

"Nothing changed," She said. "You used Diana to get your way with me and now you do the same with Lotte. But alright... I will come too."

Barbara and her girlfriend jumped forward and hugged the redhead, who pulled a stoic Constanze into the huddle with her.

"I am deeply sorry to disappoint you all," Mary firmly spoke. "But I have to stay here."

"That is so unfair!" Hannah exclaimed.

"With your newfound powers you should definitely join this battle, Diana," The girl with the red sash through her dark-blue hair said. "But in order to keep the promise you made Meifa someone has to stay here and take care of Banagher."

"Are you sure you are the best person to do that?" Amanda teasingly grinned. "We might come back to find you've killed each other."

"It might surprise you, but I can be gentle as well as severe to those under my care," The Brit returned with an insinuating smile.

"I don't doubt you," Her American friend chuckled.

"If Mary is not coming I will ask Elfriede Förster to join us," Akko gruffly interrupted their banter.

"Great idea," Amanda grinned. "I know Elfriede's been aching for a good fight since the European Inter-High for light-saber fencing was canceled."

Lotte and Barbara shared a knowing giggle.

"So you all volunteer to join the SDD?" Miranda Holbrooke inquired with wide-open eyes as she pushed herself up with both hands on the surface of her desk.

Every one of the girls before her except for Mary nodded curtly.

"Very well!" Their headmistress sighed as she sat down again. "If you insist and the Witches Council came here specifically to draft you there is very little I can do to stop you."

"I can assure you that both the Witches Council and the whole of mankind are eternally grateful to you all for your bravery and dedication," Admiral Muńoz stated with a deep bow.

"I also want to thank you both, Headmistress Holbrooke and Vice-principal Badcock," The tall Argentinian in the light-blue tunic with the dark-green V which ran down her shoulders and met in a point on her stomach roughly spoke. "But we have to act quickly. So if we could talk to Elfriede Förster now I would appreciate it greatly."

"Diana Cavendish will gladly bring you to see the girl. But I will ask you all to leave Nine Witches hall now. I have things to discuss with Council Member Sabatini," Headmistress Holbrooke said in a tired voice.

Ony by one the nine young witches left the Headmistress's office through the arched double doors, followed by Admiral Muńoz and Vice-principal Badcock who closed the door behind her with a dissatisfied look at her friend.

"Take a seat please, Annabella," Miranda Holbrooke said as she stretched her hand toward the other side of her desk.

The woman with the shoulder-length dark-brown hair and silver half-frame glasses conjured a wooden chair identical to Miranda's opposite her host and sat down.

"Our colleagues made such a fuss about this," Miranda smiled.

"Young people still have to learn that these kinds of negotiations always work themselves out," Anabella chuckled.  
"But Admiral Muńoz is under a tremendous amount of pressure," The woman in the dark-green tunic continued more seriously.

"The future of this world very much rests on her shoulders. Council Member Donahue is giving her all the support she can, but she is very busy herself, organizing the replacement of the supernatural defense division brigades who have been guarding our schools with guards and investigators from the correctional facilities and civil aid divisions."

"Yes…" Miranda smiled softly. "It is curious how we were all so excited about all the good that came with the rebirth of Yggdrasil, but nobody even expected that there would be trouble coming as well."

"We were all bedazzled with the possibilities," The head of the department of education nodded sadly.

"Have you heard of any progress in the witch murder investigation?" Miranda asked as she pulled her red jacket closer.

"Nothing I'm afraid," Annabella shook her head. "We can be grateful that there have been no attacks since the summer except for the one on those two poor girls who lost their friend only yesterday.  
Everyone is deeply sorry for their loss, but on a practical level Catalina deeply deplores losing out on drafting Miss Osdemir and Miss Novotna for her army."

Miranda drummed her fingers on the surface of her desk and slowly looked up at her employer.

"Is it really as bad as I have heard?" She whispered.

Annabella frowned and unconsciously folded her hands in front of her.

"It's a miracle there is still a planet beneath our feet or a sun to shine on us," The woman with the dark-brown curled hair answered. "If we were not food to the Chaos Gods, whatever is happening above Japan would destroy us all.  
What none of us understands is what they are planning there. There seemed to be a logic to them targeting Europe and the Middle East. But why Japan?"

"Yes," Miranda grimaced. "Why Japan…?"

* * *

 **Six months ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **I have hidden myself away in the top room of Luna Nova's second-highest tower, sitting on the wooden bench of a window seat with green curtains on either side of me in a space the size of our dorm room.**

 **I am, however, sitting in a one-way see-through magiconstruct room. I also took care to mask the room with a spell that should hide it from anyone's notice.**

 **I have become pitiful indeed, since this is all because of papa's new graphic novel which was sent to me today. If Filiz found me reading it she would bully me cruelly.**

 **But here in the safety of my solitude, my father is my sole comfort from the everyday horror I am subjected to.  
** **I laugh out loud at each successive joke in "The vindictive vandal" and swing my legs as if I am a little girl again.**

 **The sound of slow footsteps alerts me that someone is coming. I lament the interruption for a moment, but obviously, my visitor will not bother me.**

 **A casual interest makes me look up as the new arrival appears in the door opening and my heart nearly stops as I see the very person I was hiding from approaching in her purple vest and skirt.**

 **For a moment I fear that Filiz somehow found me here. Then I notice that she has the same concentrated look on her face as when she is studying, and I find she has several envelopes with her.**

 **She sits down at the seat of the window left of me and opens the envelopes one by one, perusing them with cold searching dark-brown eyes.** **Each consecutive letter she reads she holds up in her right hand and burns it with an elemental spell.**

 **Lately, I have been aware of a restlessness in her.  
That may sound as if there is some kind of obvious nervousness about her. In reality, the only reason I feel that way is because she has been torturing me more viciously again: Making insinuating comments about my parents after she forced me to tell her our most painful and humiliating secrets, causing a constant sound like a dropping pin to be repeated inside my left ear, crushing my fingers while I lay bound and gagged in my bed at night… **

**My tormentor raises her head and the sound of footsteps makes me look toward the door-opening to the stairwell too.**

 **I see a proud-looking girl with orange hair appear who regards Filiz quietly for a moment bearing an envelope in her left hand.** **She is a second-year student named Ottylia.**

 **"Hello," The orangette greets my roommate coldly. "You are Filiz Osdemir, I think?"**

 **"And who might you be?" Filiz grins and tilts her head playfully.**

 **"My name is Ottylia. I found this at the bottom of the stairs," The orangette snaps as she approaches my roommate while holding the envelope up. "Is this yours?"**

 **I see now for the first time that she opened the envelope.**

 **"I believe it is," Filiz smiles. "May I have it back?"**

 **A gust of wind blows through the window as her dark-brown eyes stare unblinkingly into Ottylia's level yellow eyes.**

 **"I think you have some explaining to do," The haughty Pole coldly states as she tilts her face and looks down on Filiz.**

 **"First of all, I would like to hear what "Rex" is supposed to be."**

 **She stares down imperiously at the grinning blackette in front of her while folding her arms.**

 **Filiz stands up and takes one step closer to Ottylia whose long orange hair is swept up by the wind.**

 **"Rex, my dear Ottylia, is an organization which is more than adequately endowed to make it very favorable to you to forget all about finding that letter and everything you read in it."**

 **"Do you have the gall to threaten me?" The stern Pole demands.**

 **"Threaten you?" Filiz bursts out in laughter and holds her hand before her lips. "Oh no, my dear Ottylia," She says as she manages to control herself. "I was merely trying to buy your silence."**

 **Then she suddenly turns her eyes upon the girl with a cold glare and holds her hand out.**

 **"What will happen to you if you choose not to accept our kindness is obviously implied."**

 **Ottylia's eyelids twitch, but she steadily returns Filiz's gaze.**

 **"I always knew there was something about you that didn't add up," She says. "Spare me your mad ravings and intimidation. If you think I will allow Luna Nova to be infiltrated by mobsters guess again.** **I am bringing this letter to…"**

 **Filiz instantly hooks her left ankle behind Ottylia's, turns her body counterclockwise, and in doing so pushes Ottylia towards the window she had been sitting at before.**

 **The orangette positions her arms on either side of the window to keep her assailant from pushing her through it, but at the same moment, Filiz snaps her fingers next to the girl's right ear, causing Ottylia to stop moving and look out of the window with a blank stare.**

 **With a grin, Filiz embraces her victim from behind and rubs her cheek against the girl's shoulder.**

 **"How very careless of me," She slowly says. "But that was very cool of you to confront me like that, my dear Ottylia…  
I liked that a lot. I like you a lot.  
I have been doing some research about fellow witchcraft students who might help me vanquish my ennui, but somehow you seem to have escaped my notice, yeah.  
** **I think we are going to have a lot of fun over the summer."**

 **She sighs and releases Ottylia from her embrace as she brings her lips to the girl's left ear.**

 **"Listen to my voice," She whispers. "Listen to my voice. Don't close your ears to my voice. Don't listen to the wind. Listen to my voice. You were walking through the hallway and felt like going into the tower to look out of the window at the forest. So you climbed the stairwell and you were pleased to find yourself here alone.  
The view out of the window is very beautiful and the gentle warm wind is soothing. But now it's time to leave this place and continue your day."**

 **Filiz snaps her fingers again near Ottylia's left ear. The girl casually lifts her arms from beside the window and smiles, exhaling deeply.**

 **Oblivious to Filiz she turns around and walks out of the room behaving completely natural before descending the stairs to the third floor.**

 **with a beating heart, I watch Filiz stoop and pick up the envelope Ottylia dropped during their short struggle.** **She reads the letter inside with a cold stare and sniffs.**

 **"I'll have to take care of a liquidation and a promotion too this summer. Not unexpected," She mutters as she burns the letter and envelope in her hand.**

 **Then she turns and looks straight in my direction with a big grin.** **I know she can't possibly even know I'm here. Nonetheless, I am terrified.**

 **She comes straight at me and in spite of reason I stand up and move out of her path while she goes and stands before the window looking out.**

 **I see her eyes take in the scenery and admire her own fierce radiant beauty.  
** **Filiz is very handsome and had this been an ordinary school, boys would have flocked around her on a daily basis.  
I daresay many of our lesbian students fantasize about her, including the couples. **

**But more than anything, I have come to realize that Filiz is far more dangerous than I suspected  
** **And as she turns from the window and leaves me in solitude again I decide that somehow I have to find out anything I can about Rex. This information could be my only chance to free myself from her!**

* * *

Mary sat on the mouse-grey duvet that covered her bed.

"Well… If that is what you want, I can only wish you luck and hope that you will be able to successfully use the Cavendish Dynasty alignment ritual," She heard Banagher say.

"Thank you, Banagher," Diana returned. "You have been a great help and a great friend. I am sure we will be successful with the power I am now able to wield. And since thanks to you I am now accepted by my ancestors as the head of the Cavendish household, hopefully, if we are successful I can finally start my personal struggle to save my family's estate from ruin."

"I would like to see that happen," The unicorn fawned.

"Don't you think that would be wonderful, Akko?" Mary heard her fellow countryman approach their roommate who had been studying at her desk since they came back from their meeting at Nine Witches Hall.

After about ten seconds Banagher's smug face appeared from behind the bookcases that separated the apartment into a bedroom and a luxurious study.

"What are you up to?" Mary threateningly inquired from the bone-white creature who trotted up to Diana's bed and laid itself to rest next to it.

"Never you mind," The unicorn arrogantly replied. "You do things that are incomprehensible to me and I do things that are far beyond you. Let's just leave it at that."

"Admiral Muńoz told me we will leave as soon as our guardians sign our draft contracts and they are submitted to Council Member Donahue. I suspect if none of our parents object we will be debriefed about flight formation, chain of command, and battle tactics in about an hour," The squabbling duo heard Diana answer her Japanese friend's question.

"Then I'll go to the belfry to meditate," Akko dryly stated.

Mary heard the brunette grab her jacket and open the door.

"Alright," Diana said. "I'll come with you."

There was a moment of silence as Mary heard Diana grab her jacket too.

"I'm sorry, Diana. But I need to do this on my own. I have to be able to make as much progress as I can before we go to Japan. I have to be as powerful as I can be. My parents depend on me and I don't want to disappoint Nela."

"... I understand," The platinum-blonde witch replied. "Then I'll read up on offensive spells."

"Thank you," Akko said. "I'll see you in a few hours."

The door closed behind the brunette, but Mary heard nothing after that. She turned her face on a grinning Banagher.

"Such treasure," The creature whispered lecherously.

Mary heard her friend walk over to the lime-green sofa in the middle of the room and heard the sound of stifled weeping.

"Hiiiiieee…" Diana quietly cried and sniffed.

Mary gently placed her book on her pillow and got up. As she heard more sniffing she softly stole over the burgundy carpet until she stood still to the right of the two book cabinets that functioned as a divider wall in the apartment.

Her roommate sat in the middle of the green sofa grieving with her right hand before her lips. She was crying so hard that tears were visibly spilling over from her flooded eyes and streamed down her pale cheeks.

"Wahaaa…!" The girl with the beautiful platinum-blonde hair finally cried freely with open mouth and shaking throat as she rested her hands on her lap and gave up on trying to calm down.

Mary slowly came closer. She wasn't surprised that Diana would break down at this time. The bluette had learned a long time ago that the head of the house of Cavendish was a person who only pretended to be strong.

"Ahaaa…! I'm so sorry…" Diana blubbered with trembling lips.

It never failed to stir Mary's heart when she saw the woman cry. This was no less the case with the girl.  
As had happened from time to time at discovering such a scene back when she came into puberty a ravenous flare of anger shot up inside of her, but her genetics and training allowed the bluette to quickly and easily suppress the disturbing emotion.

"These are painful times," Mary whispered as she sat down and put her arms around the miserably weeping girl who surrendered to her comforter and returned the heartfelt embrace. "Everyone is allowed to give in to tears. You more than most."

"I don't understand what she's thinking anymohoore!" Diana sobbed. "So many girls were killed… and they still haven't found the person responsible…  
Now Nela died and Akko won't talk to anyone because she wants to study as hard ashhh… As she can to make Nela proud… The Chaos Gods are so powerful and they're threatening entire nations… hiiihiiieee…! Meifa was right... Everything is terrible..."

Mary held the person she was closest to in the world as tight as she could without hurting her.

Diana's still flooding tears drenched her own cheek and dripped onto her shirt.

"Ahaaaaaa…!"

Eventually when she sensed that her dear friend had finished grieving Mary used a spell to calm her heart, clean her respiratory tract and dry and heal her eyes.

"Thank you, Mary," Diana said quietly. "As usual, there is no limit to your kindness. Oh…"

As the Brit opened her eyes they were temporarily overwhelmed by the light of Luna Nova sorcerer's stone and she realized that her blue-haired friend had teleported them to the New Moon Tower.

She and Mary moved apart, watching the large bright-green rock.

"Remember when this was all the magical power available to us, Diana?" The bluette asked.  
"Some among us are starting to think that maybe it would have been better if Yggdrasil was never revived. That the horrors we are now confronting wouldn't exist if witches had just stayed hidden from the rest of the world.

I don't believe that at all."

Diana saw her friend turn her eyes on her and shine with the same brightness as the stone they had been watching.

"I told you before that I didn't have many friends growing up and that I didn't see my mother often," Mary said with a hopeful smile, bathing in the green light of the sorcerer's stone. "That is why I was so happy to get to know everyone at Luna Nova.  
A whole world opened up for me. A world I want to protect. Every creature at Luna Nova is dear to me.

Since Yggdrasil was revived witches have done many beautiful things for the rest of the world.  
What you and Akko did hasn't brought only danger, and when we finally succeed in overcoming the dangers we now face our people will shine as bright as the stone that nurtured us when we were hidden away.

There's not much reason for hope right now, Diana. But I dare to hope, because I know we can all be better people than we think.

When I first saw Akko I didn't know what to think of her. I couldn't have a high opinion of that self-assured clown who got everyone annoyed with her. But as we got to know Akko better, even before she managed to revive Yggdrasil, I know both of us became aware of her love and her dedication.  
That's when I started to realize that Akko was going to accomplish amazing things."

"Mary…" Diana breathed.

"Now that I had the opportunity to be in a group with the messiah of magic I learned many things about Akko," Mary smiled as she took both of her friend's hands in hers. "And one of those things is that Diana is one of the most important people in Akko's life.  
So you have to work hard, Diana. Because Akko is working hard for everyone's sake."

Diana stared at the bluette overcome by her love and optimism.

"My mother doesn't care much for mottos or fancy speech," Mary continued. "But she once told me something that I always yield courage from: "If there is hope or comfort to be found you will find it in yourself. You made it this far, so the odds are in your favor."

It's what she told me when I was going to Luna Nova for the first time.

But sometimes, when you think everything you tried was for naught, you might find a glimmer of unexpected hope in others," Diana watched her friend smile as she released her hands. "I lost hope recently, only to be confronted with what mother always believed in: Everyone can change for the better."

Diana knew her dear friend and roommate was a gentle, loving and warm person. But she always sensed that there was a part of herself that Mary never let anyone in on. Not even Filiz.  
What she was hearing now made her feel that she was friends with a far nobler and wiser girl than she had ever suspected.

"I wish I could meet your mother one day," The Brit said as she returned the smile of her boy-crazy roommate with the cute hairstyle.

To her surprise Mary chewed her lip, blushed, and looked away.

"Be careful what you wish for, Diana," The bluette replied in what the girl with the platinum-blonde hair thought sounded a little like an embarrassed snicker.

"In fact, I think it would be best if nobody made any wishes for a long time."

* * *

 **Three months ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **After having spent about half an hour of excruciating pain on the toilet I stumble half-deliriously through the crimson-carpeted hallway, occasionally leaning against an oak-paneled wall and gritting my teeth whenever I feel a particularly unbearable jolt of pain surge up inside my bowels.**

 **I suppose this is my punishment for "cowardly" falling to my knees in front of Filiz for fear of my life back when that piece of debris nearly killed her.**

 **Knowing her this treatment would have been spared me if I had arranged for that accident to happen to her, but after learning of Ottylia and all those other girls I am sure she killed I am cured forever of any intention to even give her the impression that I want to fight back against her.**

 **I have been abstaining from food all day so that I won't poop myself in class. Even so, the pain is constant and sharp and after today I have made the decision of trying to inspire a stronger person than myself to fight back against Filiz.**

 **If that fails I might actually kill myself, because I don't know how much more of this I can take.**

 **I have thought about approaching the teachers or some of my seniors about Filiz. My fellow-students are out of the question, they are blind to even the smallest of her flaws.**

 **What Filiz did to us before the opening ceremony, for example, is a well-guarded secret. Fragments of what happened have spread around the school, but most of the teachers or the older students hardly know who was involved. And Filiz's name has been kept carefully out of what has leaked outward.**

 **But after thinking things through I realized that if I did tell any of the teachers about my roommate's true nature rather than being listened to with an impartial ear I would become a highly suspect person myself. Because even our sternest teachers are completely taken in by her.**

 **Filiz and Nela are the new success stories of Luna Nova. Just like Diana and Akko, they are not merely loved by all but they are also protected as priceless publicity tools.**

 **Even Nela, who lacks all of Filiz's media-savvy would actually get away with murder if she tried.**

 **As I am lost in thought and am about to turn into the north hallway I spot a disconcerting scene in front of me: Sophia seems to be interrupted by one of our seniors while bullying a queer short red-haired girl.**

 **That girl is a mystery to me. I don't understand how she can persist in this kind of behavior after everything Filiz had put us through.**

 **Being bullied myself made me realize quickly how disgustingly I used to treat those I chose not to respect, b** **ut Sophia still hasn't learned to change her behavior it seems.**

 **I see her push Amanda up against a wall and wonder whether I should intervene, but a moment later the American makes an allusion to what Filiz did to us at the start of the school year and just like with me the traumatic memory triggers a fearful reaction. Only with Sophia, the reaction is far more extreme.**

 **Amanda tries to show her assailant clemency, but Sophia violently pushes her away and after a while, the pinkette walks off.**

 **When Sophia is alone in the at this hour of the weekend sparsely frequented hallway I walk up to her as she slowly tries to get up.**

 **"You know you brought this on yourself," I say and make her look up at me with a jerk.**

 **"Oh… It's only you," She sighs and looks down again as she gets to her feet.**

" **What need did you have to bully that girl? Nnngh..." I coldly scold her before doubling over in pain.**

 **Sophia looks on as I lean against the wall to my left where she was pushing Amanda O'Neil up against not ten minutes ago.**

" **What did that bitch do to you now?" She asks in an unusual awed voice as I stand erect again while trying to suppress the reflex of grimacing from the pain I feel.**

" **I have… at the moment… about fifty, according to Filiz, tiny needles lodged in my intestines," I reply while wincing in spite of my best efforts.**

 **My large Greek friend watches me in horror. I still call her my friend even though our common suffering and our inability to fight our lot actually managed to drive us apart, isolating us further.**

" **Why don't you stop the good penitent Christian act and help me find a way to rid ourselves from that bitch! Forever if we have to," She whispers fiercely.**

" **Hahahahahahaha!"**

 **My sudden laughter seems to startle her.**

" **If you were even partly capable of accomplishing such a thing," I chuckle more modestly, "You would be aware that this is exactly what Filiz wants us to try… And one of the reasons she treats us as she does.** **You have no idea what crazy things that girl has done to satisfy her desire to find a good fight.**

 **Let me tell you a story that** **I recently learned about:**

 **In the last three years, all the Yakuza clans in Japan have been merged into one.**

 **The clan which managed to absorb all of the others was nothing exceptional originally, until one day all its officers and the oyabun's advisors came home to an empty house.  
** **Their houses were stripped of furniture, all personal belongings, children and wives.  
What these men did find in their houses were a bunch of terrified teenagers **

**These boys and girls had one thing to say to the hardened criminals: "From now on you are soldiers of REX."**

 **At about the same time a young girl visited the house of their family head. She told him that the families of his men were in her possession. Then she told him that his officers from then on would receive their orders from teenage messengers who should not be molested.**

 **The oyabun ordered a few soldiers to beat the whereabouts of his officers' families out of the girl.  
** **They beat her for an entire day, but she never wept or made a sound.  
** **At the end of the day, she suddenly started to laugh out loud.**

" **You are doing torture all wrong," she said.**

 **When a few of the officers visited the house of their oyabun a few hours later they found everyone dead except for one horribly wounded and blinded soldier.**

 **The man said that the girl somehow freed herself and killed everyone including their family head.  
** **This soldier later killed himself.**

 **During the next 24 hours, each of the clan's officers and advisors was stripped of all their financial assets. When they realized they had been robbed of even their best hidden financial reserves each of them received a letter written by their wives with on the back the words:** **"Since none of you have anything left to live for you will live for me from now on."**

 **Sophia turns pale and watches me with gritted teeth.**

 **"You made that up," She sisses.**

 **"I don't know if that girl was her, and it is just an urban left after all. But I think we both recognize a pattern.  
** **So let me save yourself more pain by putting this to you: She made you whimper more pitiable than I even thought a human being was able to when she barely knew any magic. What makes you think either of us can be a threat to her now she far outshines us both in knowledge and ability?  
** **Why would we even want to try, knowing what she's capable of?"**

 **I watch Sophia tremble as she grimaces in frustration and fear.**

" **Why don't you do as I do and accept everything she puts us through as just punishment for all the things I know you did to others in the past?"**

" **What are you saying?!" Sophia sisses as she grabs me by the collar and fights back her tears. "As if I ever did anything to others that was as monstrous as the things she has done to me!"**

 **Disappointed in her lack of repentance I fix her with a mercilessly judging stare and push her from me.**

" **I'm confident you did enough to people less hardy than you who instead of knowing they are one of several bullied by a single person felt the cold sting of being lone victims of several bullies among an unsympathetic larger group of onlookers."**

 **Tired of the conversation and eager to pursue my goal I turn around and start to walk toward the other end of the hallway, leaving my angrily staring friend behind.**

" **You may deem me passive and nihilistic," I say as I walk off, "But at least I am able to acknowledge what I am and what I have done. I advise you to shelf any pointless plans you may have and follow my example."**

* * *

 **Twenty minutes later I am sitting on my bed studying up on magic philosophy when Nela finally opens the door to our dorm room and enters.  
**

 **She calmly walks into the room, takes the chair from her desk by the back, turns it around and sits down while leaning on the backrest.**

" **What do you want to talk about all of a sudden?" She asks boorishly.**

 **I put my book down with a smile. Nela might seem arrogant and unmannered, but when you get to know her better she is a soothing presence.**

" **Can you create a magiconstruct room for us here?** **I would do it myself," I say. "But I want to make sure the room is well-crafted regarding soundproofing."**

 **What is so amusing about Nela is that she's intelligent enough to see through my obvious brownnosing, but she's proud enough for it to work.**

" **Very well," She sighs and sits up.**

 **Raising and opening her right hand a** **crackling grey orb appears while everything around us fades away.  
I am now sitting on a soft Bordeaux sofa in a room with beige flower-patterned wallpaper while Nela is sitting on a similar sofa to my left.  
** **To my right is a room-wide window with dark-brown curtains. Opposite me, an LED television is mounted on the wall.**

 **The detail is astounding. No wonder Nela considers herself Filiz's equal.**

" **Is this your own design?" I ask.**

" **I thought you wanted to tell me something important?" She bites.**

 **It seems this room might be of emotional importance to her. I wring my hands and look at my lap.**

" **I have something very important to tell you…" I start nervously. "I wanted to talk about Filiz…"**

 **I look up and see that Nela is watching me with some anticipation. Her long wavy blonde hair is draped around her as she sits up and crosses her arms.**

" **Filiz is quite an amazing person. She is beloved by everyone who knows her and both of you are enormously talented witches… On top of that, she seems considerate and kind to everyone…**

 **The two of us might be said to know her best of all the people in Luna Nova," I continue as I return Nela's steady piercing gaze. "But it feels to me like there is much about Filiz that we don't know…"**

 **I exhale deeply and watch Nela's steely blue eyes through my yellow sunglasses. I have her attention in any case.**

" **Nela, do you think Filiz is a kind person?"**

" **Do you think I would be as frustrated by her as I have been if she was a kind person?" My suddenly agitated roommate returns the question.**

" **Right… You see. There is something I wanted to ask you…"**

 **My hands are getting sweaty. Filiz kept her promise. As soon as I entered our room the needles disappeared from my intestines and the wounds healed up, but now I feel queazy from nervousness.**

" **Filiz did something over the summer that I…"**

" **Let me stop you right there."**

 **Nela still seems agitated, but she has a strange smirk on her face.**

" **I want you to consider this: If we - both of her roommates - know what Filiz did, do you think it is possible for her not to be aware of that?"**

 **I think all the blood is drawn away from my face.**

" **You… you know…?"**

" **Of course I know," Nela grimaces in anger. "Do you think I wouldn't find out sooner or later when I have a golem in front of me instead of my perfect rival? Don't you think Filiz would realize it when I follow her around and have a golem take my place too?"**

" **But… You know what she did? You know that she killed…?"**

" **As I said: I followed her and watched on two occasions," Nela growls. "Now, if you are planning to talk to the investigators about this, for your own sake, I suggest keeping this a secret. I don't even know why you would take this risk after what Filiz has been doing to you…"**

" **You know about that too?!" I exclaim with indignation. "You knew and you never did anything to intervene?!"**

" **Why should I?" Nela coldly asks with a tilt of her head. "That's between you and her. I only care about what Filiz means to me."**

" **You have known all this time the kind of person she is and it doesn't bother you?!"**

" **Of course it bothers me!" Nela suddenly yells at me as she stands up and stomps her foot. "From the start, she's been pretending she doesn't recognize me! She made me a promise, but she doesn't even talk about our first fight! And now she's been going around fighting dozens of girls all over Europe?! Like hell that doesn't bother me! I am her perfect rival! Me! She shouldn't bother with anyone else!"**

" **B… But if she fought you like she fought those girls… one of you might die…" I frightenedly mutter.**

" **That's for us to decide!" Nela exclaims in a somewhat calmer tone. "She shouldn't go around fighting everyone else when she made a promise to me that we would have another fight if we met again.  
** **She never even sought me out! I waited for her and when we meet here by accident she pretends she doesn't know me! I know she recognized me! I know she remembers me!"**

" **Then why don't you talk to her about her promise?" I ask my strange roommate.**

" **Hmpf," Nela goes and crosses her arms again. "Why would I have to start about that? She's the one who made the promise. She's the one who's playing dumb. And she knows it gets on my nerves.  
She should be the one to approach me about it. I'm not playing along on her terms, she can forget about that."**

" **Nela…" I start and sweatdrop as I gaze up at my weird dumb complex roommate. "Do you love Filiz?"**

 **A sudden frightfully bright blush and dilation of the pupils is followed by a snicker and exaggerated laughter.**

" **Love? Hahahaha…!" Nela laughs while she holds her belly. "What are you talking about?"**

 **Is this the world's biggest tsundere?**

 **But then a thought crosses her mind and she watches me seriously.**

" **I actually do love Filiz… As a person," She confesses while still blushing. "She is lively and talented. She shares my ideals. She pulls everyone around her along in her quest to improve herself every day. She wants to compete with people who are better than her and looks down on those who are content to lord it over those inferior to them.  
And she doesn't allow any superficialities to stand in her way."**

 **"I haven't ever heard murder described as a superficiality before."**

 **"You love her too, don't you?" My tsundere roommate silences me. "Even with everything** **she puts you through."**

 **I look into her penetrating eyes.**

 **"She forced me to confront myself," I sigh. "And I... it's not like I can avoid admiring her drive and accomplishments, nor the effect she has on not only our class but the entire school…** **If she didn't terrify me I would want to be her friend."**

 **As I look up again I find my roommate stare at me.**

 **"You know…" Nela sighs as she sits down again. "I'll try to help you out if I notice her doing something to you in the future."**

 **"And how about asking her why she doesn't want to fight you?" I smirk.**

 **Nela gives me a cold stare.**

 **"Don't get ahead of yourself. We haven't become so chummy-chummy that you can tell me what to do."**

 **"Have you considered that she doesn't want to fight you because she really likes you?" I smirk.**

 **"What did you think you'd achieve by telling me what you knew anyway?" She deflects my question with a perfect pokerface.**

 **"I hoped that the only person I saw capable of opposing her - even with your weird fixation - would be appalled by Filiz being a serial killer and would try to stop her."**

 **"I didn't know you could be so blunt," Nela grins. "I suppose you must have been quite a vicious bully to deserve the torturing Filiz treats you to."**

 **"I was a real bitch," I smile miserably.**

 **"I used to be bullied," Nela confesses.**

 **"No? Really?" I smirk.**

 **I watch her roll her eyes.**

 **"Nevermind," She continues with a grin. "Just know that in case you think about telling anybody else what you wanted to tell me nobody would believe you."**

 **As if to signal that she considers the subject over with my handsome roommate raises her right hand again.  
** **The grey orb appears in her palm again and crackles until the magiconstruct room gives way to our dorm room before it disappears.**

 **"I was resting here so peacefully wondering why my dear roommates are scheming behind my back in a magiconstruct room," A crystal clear voice above me freezes the blood in my body.** **"But I completely forgive you both," Filiz continues with a chuckle.**

 **For some reason, she sounds exceptionally cheerful, which makes me feel even more on edge.**

 **Her hand slithers down from the bunk bed above me and caresses my left ear.**

 **"Will you stop bullying Isabelle," Nela speaks up in an exasperated voice as she glares up at Filiz while leaning her chin on the arms she is resting on her chair's backrest. "It's starting to get really annoying."**

 **"Oh?" The voice above me giggles as Filiz's hand fondles my earlobe seductively and strays toward my chin. "Are you getting jealous, dear Nela?"**

 **"Don't flatter yourself," My savior growls as I grit my teeth.**

 **"Then our poor oppressed Parisian friend has found herself a hero," Filiz chuckles and pats my head. "Well done, Isabelle."**

 **In a frightfully fluid motion my tormentor sits up and gracefully swings herself down from the bed so that she is standing before a visibly unimpressed Nela.**

 **"I will honor your request," She smiles. "But I will need a favor in return for Isabelle's peace of mind."**

 **"What are you talking about?" Nela sits up and sighs as she crosses her arms.**

 **Filiz holds out her left hand, holds her head high, and rests her right hand against her hip.**

 **"I want a date to accompany me to the autumn fair," She states imperiously. "And since you just voluntarily indebted yourself to me I choose my most devoted rival as my escort, yeah."**

 **"What if I say no?" Nela grimaces and blushes slightly while glancing at me.**

 **"Then we have no deal. Obviously, your performance will be judged, and Isabelle will receive minor punishments depending on how well you do," Filiz grins.**

 **Nela stands up with a sigh and takes our black-haired roommate's hand in hers.**

 **"I hope you realize what I'll suffer for your sake," She mutters to me.**

 **"How insulting," Filiz chuckles and rolls her eyes amusedly. "I promise you'll have a good time, whether you look forward to it or not. Let's grab our coats and catch up with the others."**

 **A strange sensation courses through me as I watch my roommates look over themselves in the mirror and don their cloaks. Is Filiz really going to leave me unmolested from now on? It seems too good to be true.**

 **"Thank you, Nela," I say as they stand at the door.**

 **"Not that you deserve this, you yellow-eyed freak," She smiles.**

 **"Look how proud our dear Nela is!" Filiz laughs as she pulls her annoyed date close. "You look so handsome right now, Nela. All the Blytonbury boys are going to try and steal you away from me tonight."**

 **Then she opens the door and with a: "See you later" from both of them I am left alone.**

 **Heaving a sigh I nestle myself in the stillness of our room, hopeful that my suffering will be over from now on.  
** **Even though I know Filiz can't be trusted I think I can trust Nela's promise to be vigilant for my sake from today onwards.**

 **Filled with these thoughts I open my book again.**

 **"I am willing enough to leave you in peace from now on, but I expect a quid pro quo from you as well, my dear Isabelle."**

 **Hearing Filiz's voice to my left makes me jump up in such a fright that I throw my study book into Nela's bed.**

 **She laughs in amusement as her form appears in her wooden desk chair. Then she looks at me intently and rests her left arm on the backrest of Nela's chair.**

 **"I apologize for startling you, but I had rather an important matter to discuss with you and so I saw fit to trick our friend Nela into leaving the room.  
** **You see, I have what you might call a business proposal," She says as her radiant dark-brown eyes fix me like a rabbit caught in the headlights.**

 **"I have recently made the acquaintance of a person of vast ability and vision who is very busy organizing a worldwide revolution. This might sound ominous, but as far as I can tell this person's intention is only to create a better future for their people.  
Personally, from what I have heard I have little doubt that they will succeed, and when they do, borders, religions, languages, ideologies… None of it will be of importance anymore."**

 **What is she talking about? She sounds like she's delusional... Or else this is one of her elaborate jokes.**

 **"I can see you look at me as if I have gone quite mad, my dear Isabelle," My roommate chuckles. "But I assure you that what I am talking about is very real."**

 **"Then… Who is this person, and how are they making this revolution come about?" I ask Filiz and watch her play with the double-headed eagle coin which hangs from her left ear.**

 **"Aaah…" She grins deviously as she folds her hands in her lap. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep those details to myself for now, though you might be able to deduce the truth for yourself if you pay attention to international events.**

 **What I will tell you is that I have recently affiliated myself with our great unifier by promising to gain them the support of the magical community.  
** **Why, I just brought Headmistress Holbrooke, Vice-principal Badcock, and Professor Chariot over to our cause this morning," She smiles with a glint in her eyes.**

 **"Now, you may ask yourself: "Why is my admirable friend Filiz Osdemir granting her support to such a noble cause as she just described to me? Isn't she a heartless monster who tortures me and my friends because we are too frightened to fight her?"**

 **I understand your doubts, my dear Isabelle," Filiz nods sagely with her arms crossed. "But, you see, every oppressive regime needs its secret police. Even those with noble intent. Especially those with noble intent.  
** **That is why your friends and I agreed that from today onward they will be free to be their miserable selves and ostracize those they deem unworthy to be a part of the new order.**

 **I for my part have given myself a new challenge with the blessing of our visionary leader: With you as their Commander I plan to build our classmates into a new model battalion that will serve as a blueprint for a renewed SDD!"**

 **"What…?" I breathe.**

 **"Hahaha, Isabelle," Filiz laughs heartily. "You look like I asked you to do away with yourself, yeah.  
Surely becoming my right-hand woman in Luna Nova in return for a life free of persecution isn't so horrible a proposal as to elicit such a response?  
I might even have some little presents on the way for your diversion since you enjoy snooping around in people's private lives so much." **

**All I can think of is that if I accept this offer I can't refuse I will never be free of her. After I graduate… When I go to university… When I start my first job… When I start a family… She might always lay claim to me.**

 **"But… I don't have the faintest basis in military leadership! I wouldn't know how to lead a group…!"**

 **"Now, Isabelle," Filiz grins as she raises a finger in objection. "Aren't you thoroughly experienced in leading a class against a common foe?"**

 **I look at her vicious grin and turn my glistening eyes downward in shame.**

 **"You are an intelligent person, Isabelle. I am sure that if we put our minds together I can teach you all you need to know and we will certainly succeed in creating a new kind of magical militia, fit for the future challenges our society will face."**

 **After all, I think as I take off my glasses and wipe my eyes, I was her property from the start.**

 **"I can see that you are troubled by what I am telling you," Filiz says in a sympathetic tone. "But I have taken note of your introspective journey and I promise that if you want to make amends for your past offenses joining me in this pursuit will prove most beneficial to you."**

 **She gets up from her seat and with a few steps she stands in front of me in her purple skirt and vest over a white shirt.**

 **"You have figured out how convenient it can be for a person to have me as a friend, and how disastrous it can be to have me as an enemy, have you not?" She asks with an outstretched right hand as I look up at her, tempted by the seemingly noble goal of this enigmatic great unifier she talked about in spite of my doubts about Filiz's true intentions.**

 **So… even though I am aware that I am making a deal with the devil I shake Filiz's hand.**

 **"I am pleased with your decision, my dear Isabelle," She grins. "I look forward to what our cooperation will achieve for the Fufian Imperium."**

* * *

Conscious that something had woken her up Berren lazily opened her eyes and looked at the curtained windows to her left as she remained motionless in her warm bed.

The storm which Oku had started in the morning seemed more furious than ever. Fierce winds and rainfall were pounding against the windows of her room.

Her parents and the staff had fearfully decided not to sleep in their bedrooms but made sleeping arrangements for themselves in the heart of the building. Their lack of faith in the ability of the great unifier to shield them from anything the so-called Chaos Gods could throw at them was entirely illogical. Yamazaki tower was the safest place on the face of the planet.

Berren wished Hayato and Kayoko Saitou had accepted her invitation to lodge in one of the guestrooms for their safety. Luckily their family had a good underground shelter where they were staying at the moment.  
She cuddled her Sai2 rhinoceros plushie and turned her eyes on the miserably shivering person whose stealthy entrance into her room had caused her to be roused from her sleep.

"Did you have another nightmare?" She asked in her usual monotone voice. "You haven't been bothered by them since Filiz left for Luna Nova."

Zeynep came closer, dressed in her satin nightgown.

"I dreamed of that time when I was in middle school and she pushed the light switch while I was taking a shower.  
I remembered how she locked the door and watched me as I stood frozen in terror for what she was going to do…" The tall blonde sniffed.

Berren realized that her older sister was still weeping and shaking in fear.

"I've been getting so used to sleeping soundly, I forgot how vivid the nightmares could be… " Berren heard Zeynep whisper over the violence of the storm outside as she stood at the foot end of her bed.

"... Including how humiliated and helpless I felt as she pushed me against the wall and the pain as she nearly pulled my arms out of their sockets and inserted her fingers while she kept whispering that I would always be her property," The blonde now sobbed in frustration.

Berren pulled the sheets and duvet covering her to the side and sat up in her bed.

"Come here," She said and held out a hand.

Zeynep quickly sat down beside the brunette and allowed her younger sister to pull her body close as she rested her head on her shoulder. Her bruises from the fight with Ryuko still hurt too.

"You are a fool for still fearing Filiz," Berren scolded. "Even Filiz will not dare touch you again with the great unifier watching over us."

Zeynep had always felt that no matter what happened or whatever Filiz did to her, Berren's disinterested voice and aloof behavior could always calm her down.

"Filiz, Ryuko, even this demon that rages outside, in the world that is being created right now they will all become obsolete," Berren said with her eyes on the curtained window before her.

"Our father, who still refuses to let us join the Fufian race, behaves like a caveman who doesn't trust anything he doesn't know. Mother too continues her shameful opposition to the new order. They will not shackle us with their irrational edicts for much longer."

Zeynep wiped her eyes with her hand as she gradually relaxed in her sister's arms while Berren stroked her sister's fair hair.

"I promise you," The brunette said. "Soon there will be nothing to disturb you anymore."

* * *

At the same time, Sucy Manbavaran walked down the stairs to the underground parking lot where they had deposited the Fufian Mycelium back when she, Hoka, and Soroi had made their deal with Faisal Osdemir.  
Walking through the underground parking she saw the mycelium grow everywhere and a motherly pride welled up inside of her, conscious that her experiment was uniting every person on earth.

This was not only where the mycelium grew, but also where pieces of it were constantly being severed from the main body to be packed and transported to the Perfect Fusion factories around the world with the regularity of a production line. That is why trucks were parked near the outside entrance and a packing line was established inside the underground parking.

Sucy walked past the packing line and the growth of grey mycelium visible everywhere towards a prefab apartment in the middle of the parking lot and opened the door to let herself in.

Inside, in spite of the bright fluorescent orbs she had conjured there when the apartment was built, as might be expected, it was almost dark as night.

"Hello, Sucy," A heavily resonating crackling voice greeted her from the darkness. "Professor Chariot here has been so kind as to entertain me with a lesson on romantic divination. Why don't you join us?"

Sucy smiled as she seated herself in the fauteuil next to her Magic Astrology teacher and opposite their new friend.

"We have brought all of the witches in Japan together to maintain protective barriers around Satsuki's prison and Yamazaki tower," She said in her monotone voice. "We have also ensured that every one of these witches is provided with a P.A. to provide them with anything they may wish for."

"Very well, Sucy," The person casting the darkness inside of the apartment said in a deep and raspy voice. "I have so much to thank you for… All of our people owe you so much gratitude… That is why when all of this is over I will send you to Balta Vrajitoarelor University so that you can lend your expertise and enthusiasm to its magic mycology department."

"You know so well how to please me," The Phillipino grinned in anticipation.

"Are both of you sure that the power of those witches will be enough to protect Satsuki and the mycelium here from Oku's attacks?" Chariot asked before bringing a spoon of the lemon sorbet she had been offered to her lips.

"All of them are Fufian," Sucy said. "So their combined power cannot be underestimated."

"Naturally I am aware of that," Her red-haired teacher replied. "But Oku possesses vast power which I doubt they can contend with. If we try to come up with a spell to constrain your power, wouldn't you be able to cast a protective spell strong enough to protect the whole of Japan," She asked her host.

"Not unless you want to find out whether I can from memory recreate the entire galaxy into it's finest detail a second time," The obscured person replied. "And even if you do, I am afraid I have no taste for the experiment.  
The witches gathered here will provide adequate protection until the supernatural defense division arrives."

"I understand your concern," Chariot smiled. "I was only trying to think of alternative solutions to our predicament."

"Which I certainly applaud," Came the raspy reply. "The possibility of new insights that can further our people is the very reason I wanted you here after all. But you divined only an hour ago that the SDD will arrive in time to protect Japan from the worst of Oku's onslaught. So do not worry about what doesn't need immediate improvement and trust in our allies.

I have my own worries as both of you know, but I choose to trust in Ryuko, Tsumugu, and Aikuro's ability to protect themselves.  
And you have my thanks for having Hoka deliver my message to them," The voice in the darkness addressed Sucy. "I hope it will make them think twice about throwing themselves in harm's way.

To change the subject: Is there any news from Nova Pangaea?"

"The inner city is estimated for completion around April," Sucy said. "The Root Of Origin funds have ensured a huge workforce is working around the clock. Omnimagi stadium has already been completed and is ready for your experiments whenever you reach adulthood."

"Are you looking forward to it, Professor Chariot?" The great unifier asked gleefully.

"If we are able to succeed, how wonderful it would be!" The passionate witch exclaimed. "There truly would be no limit to what our people will be able to achieve. I am very much looking forward to our first experiment.  
I know Croix is very excitedly and arduously working on her research too."

"Good," The gravelly voice of her host spoke with satisfaction. "I am glad I finally reached the age to get married with parental consent at least for now...  
Let the SDD rid us of Oku. After that, we will show the world magic like they never saw before. Hahahaha."

* * *

 **Twenty-five hours ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **I don't know where Filiz and Nela are off to. Perhaps they are still in New Moon Tower discussing everything that Filiz has been keeping a secret from our roommate until now.  
** **But since I found our dorm room empty after the drill exercises I had with our secret new SDD battalion I decided to check the recordings of my little spiders.**

 **I sit at my desk with a screen projected by a 5 cm high black, white, and purple disk before me and peruse the tags Filiz's (Or rather Professor Croix's) presents attached to their recordings.**

 **More than three fourth of the recordings are of no interest. The majority of the others have a few things of interest which I listen to and will report to Filiz about, including** **the visits which she promised me we'll deal with soon.**

 **Lastly, I look at the recording from the spider in the New Moon Tower.**

 **Curious about what my roommates have been up to I play the recording from the moment my roommates teleported into the tower.**

 **I see Filiz to the left of the screen and Nela to the right. Filiz gesticulates as she talks at length about her so-called great unifier, she even explains about Fufians and Perfect Fusian tea, which she encouraged me to find out for myself.**

 **I have to say she is being very open to Nela, but I know this isn't really what Nela wanted to talk about.**

 **"So now you see why I had Isabelle train Sophia and the others into a militia," Filiz says. "You did a wonderful job at leading them into combat, by the way, my compliments."**

 **"So your plan is to make yourself useful by reforming the SDD for this great unifier and turning it into their main army?" Nela frowns.**

 **"Exactly so, yes."**

 **The Czech observes her friend who stands in front of her smiling amiably with her hands joined behind her back.**

 **"I suppose if the Chaos Gods are defeated we will all be turned into Fufians as well…" She ponders out loud. "I am curious to see how much of an increase in ability and strength that will bring me. You're probably correct in thinking that the person who attacked you and Isabelle was a Fufian witch. But why do you think they did attack you?"**

 **"I suspect she's a relative or a friend of one of the girls I fought over the summer," Filiz casually shrugs. "Or maybe she's Anastasia Dolgorukov** **who became a Fufian somehow! That would be wonderful."**

 **The expression on Nela's face changes into a more agitated one.**

 **"It would be nice to get some recognition for keeping all of that quiet after all this time I think," She states with her arms folded before her bosom.**

 **"Why are you still getting worked up over that?" Filiz sighs and rolls her eyes. "Didn't I thank you several times? I am continuously expressing my gratitude for your friendship."**

 **"It's not the same! It's not the same and you know it!" Angrily stamps her foot and points at our black-haired roommate. "You have purposely kept quiet about all those things so you could watch me getting pissed off about it."**

 **"Ah... I admit I may have enjoyed teasing you by pretending not to remember our fight," Filiz chuckles.**

 **"Right! I want you to acknowledge that," Nela demands. "I want us to openly talk about everything when there's no one else around!"**

 **"Oh my!" Filiz laughs and covers her lips with both hands. "This is almost like a confession. Are you going to kneel before me, Nela?"**

 **"Don't be stupid!" Our Czech friend stupidly blushes. "This is important! I'm tired of your games! I want you to be honest with me! For starters: Did you sneak out and fight anyone over autumn break too?"**

 **"I didn't," Filiz said as she crosses her arms. "I was busy with Professor Croix and had my hands full with a lot of stuff, so even if I had wanted to, I didn't have time."**

 **"Good," Nela nods. "Then I have one demand for you."**

 **"You're so annoying," Filiz says as she peevishly rolls her eyes. "This isn't a negotiation. I merely wanted to clear the air between us. But very well, what is your demand?"**

 **"The fight that you owe me from years ago!" Nela exclaims. "I want it!  
You fought all those girls! You promised you'd find me and we'd fight again, but when we do meet again by coincidence you pretend you don't know me! I'm as good as any of those girls were! Better! Because I can beat you!" **

**"You do realize I ended up killing those girls?" Filiz sweatdrops.**

 **"You say that like you didn't mean to."**

 **"Well, I did hope some of them would survive and train harder in order to protect themselves so that they would be more of a challenge if I chose to fight them again," My Japanese roommate answers her challenger.**

 **"So why not me?!" Nela yells furiously. "You promised me!"**

 **Filiz colors as she watches her friend's desire and frustration become apparent in her voice and body language.**

 **"In any case, we can't fight for the moment," She sighs. "With that protection spell cast over us, any offensive action taken against us will be absorbed. Besides, I have more pressing matters on my mind.  
If they catch that Fufian witch or when we become Fufians ourselves we won't need the spell anymore. Then we can fight. "**

 **"Sure… Whatever you say, Filiz." Nela huffs and gesticulates. "I don't believe a word you say anymore."**

 **"Are you in that much of a hurry to die?" Filiz chuckles. "Because I'm not interested in anything casual anymore after the summer I spent. I only want to fight for my life from now on."**

 **"Is that why you ignored me?! Do you think I won't give it my all?  
I have no problem fighting you in a life or death battle! I just want us to go at each other with all we got!  
If you think I won't match your ruthlessness I will prove you wrong!" **

**At that moment both of them look around in surprise.**

 **"The protection spell has been lifted, yeah" Filiz states.**

 **"How could anyone...?" Nela frowns.**

 **"Fight!" A loud voice echoes around the tower.**

 **Gradually a smile appears on Filiz's lips.**

 **"I think our knight in shining armor found a way to oblige you, My dear Nela."**

 **"She might attack us when we're distracted by our fight…" Nela cautiously says. "But it rather seems like she wants me to kill you because she can't do much else while she's lifting the protection spell."**

 **"Just what I was thinking," Filiz grinned. "That spell was cast by four highly powerful Fufian witches after all."**

 **Both of them stare at each other in silence for about a minute.**

 **"Do you want to fight then?" Nela asks eagerly.**

 **I can tell that both of them are nervous and I start to grow frightened.  
** **Do I really want Nela to murder Filiz?** **I don't know… But I know I don't want Filiz to murder Nela.**

 **"If you win, I suggest that you heal my wounds after my death and teleport me somewhere outside with my broom nearby. Providing my body with sufficient injuries will make it seem like I fell down while practicing flight on my own," Filiz suggests as she takes a battle stance.**

 **"Your fangirls are right," Nela smirks. "You are very considerate of others. It's nice to know how I will be found if I lose."**

 **"Stop being so modest!" Filiz warns as she fondles the pendant hanging from her left ear. "How about these rules: no brooms, the fight stays in this place and time, no magic that can damage the inside of the tower?"**

 **"Sounds great," Nela agrees. "Are you ready?"**

 **"Let's go for it."**

 **Filiz uses a spell that produces a powerful shockwave by punching the air with her right fist. A thick blue wall appears behind Nela as the shockwave comes straight toward her in a matter of a second, but the blonde teleports next to Filiz and conjures a translucent cube around her which heats the air inside of it.**

 **"How nostalgic," Nela smiles as Filiz starts to sweat inside the cube. "I appreciate that callback to our boxing days."**

 **"I knew you would," Filiz smirks as she melts the cube down and binds Nela in glowing silver chains.**

 **Nela teleports back to her original position and casts the chains around Filiz 's legs as she conjures up a lightsaber and attacks, but Filiz casts the chain around Nela's head and conjures up a lightsaber of her own.**

 **In a flash of bright light, the chain around Nela's head explodes into hundreds of silver darts that fly in all directions.**

 **Filiz reacts by breaking apart into millions of two-dimensional slivers that recombine next to Nela as their sabers clash.**

 **My eyes pop out of their sockets in amazement at what they are capable of.**

 **Nela parries her roommate's attack and teleports behind her, but Filiz is quick to turn around and they exchange several attacks.**

 **Behind Nela, two semi-automatic pistols appear that open fire on her, but she teleports behind Filiz and melts the firearms while her opponent has the bullets drop down in mid-air while she parries the Czech's lightsaber attack.**

 **This is a battle of ingenuity as well as one of skill. They are definitely going all out, which makes me watch the fight with cold sweat running down my back.**

 **Filiz forms another revolver in her left hand and shoots our roommate point-blank, but Nela teleports away just in time and conjures up several ribbons that bind her opponent before they instantly burn from her.**

 **At the same time, several spikes appear around Nela which extend toward her, but the blonde destroys them all with a shockwave she sends in all directions.**

 **Filiz teleports right beside Nela and aims her revolver again before it burst apart into a dozen butterflies.**

 **The duelists exchange several attacks with their lightsabers and Nela jumps up high as her Japanese roommate swipes at her.  
With her left hand, she throws a bunch of multicolored fluorescent bars at the blackette which Filiz has explode against a meter-wide shield of dark cloud. **

**As Nela lands a few meters away she launches a fire attack at her opponent which burns Filiz's uniform but is annulled quickly by the Japanese witch while she fires a white liquid at her opponent from her left hand.**

 **Nela is drenched and starts to crystalize but the Czech manages to escape the effect by shifting into the sixth dimension.**

 **Appearing again behind Filiz my roommates let their lightsabers clash violently as they move and dodge one another with incredible speed and agility.**

 **I am starting to notice that Nela is technically superior, but it seems that she is pushed to the limit by Filiz's greater experience in actual combat.**

 **The Czech jumps up again and sends a shockwave towards Filiz by punching the air as her lightsaber disappears.  
Filiz also teleports her lightsaber away as she returns the attack. As she appears beside Nela in the air and exchanges powerful blows with the blonde both of them conjure up energy shields to protect them from the resulting blast. **

**Landing on the floor Nela hits our roommate with a quick one-two combo which Filiz answers with a powerful uppercut. Nela uses another jab to create distance.**

 **The two of them dance around one another, thoroughly beating each other up for nearly seven minutes until Filiz lands a hook on Nela's left jaw which makes the blonde's legs buckle. Nela quickly reacts with a weak straight punch to her opponent's abdomen, but the blackette beats her down with another punch to her jaw.**

 **As she lands on the floor Nela swings her legs towards her friend's ankles and manages to swipe Filiz off her feet. The Czech quickly jumps up with the intention of stradling her opponent as she lands on the floor.  
The Japanese witch, however, casts a blazing fire from her forefinger and Nela quickly teleports herself two meters above her opponent before casting a similar torch downward. **

**They are clearly getting tired. Their movements are becoming slower and they look severely bruised. I hope this ends with both of them ending up too tired to fight on because it really seems like they are trying to kill one another.**

 **Filiz teleports next to Nela and both conjure up their lightsabers and engage one another again. As they land on the floor Nela notices her ankle has a rope around it which is attached to a ring in the floor. She deftly jumps up and cuts the rope while this allows her Japanese opponent to fire a small energy beam from her left forefinger which burns through the Czech's right chest.**

 **Seeing that her opponent dropped her weapon Filiz jumps close to her roommate for the finishing blow, only for two thin spikes to shoot out from the floor and pierce her shoulders.**

 **An exhausted Nela quickly conjures her lightsaber into her left hand and moves to strike Filiz.  
I clench my fists as I watch her hesitate for less than a second without knowing my mind as to what I want her to do. **

**Filiz just smiles at the Czech and flexes the muscles in her arms.**

 **"I'm sorry, Nela," She says. "But you are already dead."**

 **Nela frowns in confusion. Then, she and the spikes through Filiz's shoulders slowly crack and as the blonde gazes at our roommate with panic in her eyes they shatter into a thousand pieces on the floor.**

 **I hyperventilate as Filiz slowly kneels amidst the shards of our friend.**

 **"Nela is dead. Oh no… Nela is dead… Nela is dead…" I repeat hysterically as tears roll down my cheeks.**

 **Filiz brings her hands to the wounds in her shoulders and recites a spell that heals the wounds as they bathe in a bright-blue glow.**

 **The black-haired witch stands up and recites another spell.  
White sparkles appear all over her until the light becomes too blinding for my overflowing eyes.  
** **When the light disappears all of Filiz's bruises are gone.**

 **"So I suppose Nela's guess was correct!" She exclaims while looking around. "A smart move, lifting the spell and hoping Nela might kill me for you. Such a pity it didn't pay off."**

 **I wipe my eyes and watch Filiz cast a spell which merges all the shards of Nela into an ordinary corpse.**

 **"If I am wrong you are more than welcome to attack me," She declares with a bright smile as she lifts Nela up under her left arm. "Otherwise I will be off to prep this body for the SDD to find."**

 **As she raises her right hand a grey crackling orb appears and Filiz and Nela disappear into a magiconstruct room.**

 **I stop the recording and grab into the small magiconstruct pocket under my bed, where I hid the piece of shoulder armor Filiz cut off from her attacker.**

 **"You wretched coward." I sis as I weep and watch my reflection in the metal of the armor piece. "Through your fault the only person capable of standing against Filiz died today."**

* * *

Wangari opened the door after hearing Mary's hail and walked into the luxurious apartment for one. Her host was sitting in the lime-green sofa in the middle of the room reading up on spell-disintegration.

"I see you're busy with some _light_ reading before dinner?" The Kenyan remarked sarcastically. "Are we even ever going to learn about that?"

"Maybe they'll teach it at Balta Vrajitoarelor University," Mary smiled as she closed the book and placed it on the large round coffee table before her.

"Are you able to understand everything?" Wangari inquired with an awed look at the book as she sat down next to her friend.

"Well… It is very complicated," The blue-haired witch grimaced. "Sensory compounds, meta-cognitive substractions, inter-actor weaving… Luckily the person who taught me magic as a child struggled through corpore-profundi spell composition when she was younger and I learned as much as she knew. So while it's hard, I get by."

"No wonder you're in a group with those two super-witches," The girl with the big orange hair whistled. "I'm happy enough to find my way around everyday spell annulment and physical spell composition."

"Did you see them leave?" Mary asked.

"We hid in the observation tower before they departed from there," Wangari grinned and winked at the girl sitting to her left.  
"Joanna got a few great pictures of Admiral Munoz ordering Akko and Diana to fly close to her for protection while traveling the leylines, and one of the battalion Commanders receiving their last instructions."

"I hope everyone will exit the leylines safely in China. If only they could fly there by ordinary means, we have no idea what Oku might try to do to them while they travel through Ygdrassil."

Mary's Kenyan friend observed the frowning witch with the red sash through her hair.

"The one I'm most concerned about is Akko," She stated. "Since Nela died she has become so reclusive and sullen.  
I hope she'll get her act together when she needs to because she might endanger everyone else if she doesn't pay attention to what happens around her  
Maybe it would have been better if she had stayed behind."

"I understand why you might think that way," Mary smiled. "But even in the state she is in I think it's a good thing that Akko joined the SDD for this battle. You and I both know how Akko can surprise people."

"Haha! Yes, that's true," Wangari shared a hopeful smile with her friend.

"Akko blames herself for Nela's death and she has been feeling increasingly frustrated by not being able to help fight the Chaos Gods. She seems to be feeling better to me now that she can do something. She's just highly focused right now."

"Ah…" Wangari sighed. "Nela's death… Do you also think it was an accident, Mary?"

The two witches looked each other in the eyes.

"No," The bluette finally answered. "I think Nela was murdered. But if the division of order and protection rules her death an accident…"

"I talked to Chief-Commissioner Karabo," Wangari interrupted her friend. "I told her not to believe that nonsense everyone is talking about that the protection spell doesn't work against non-magical threats.  
Headmistress Holbrooke and Professor Thiry assured me independently that the spell they had cast over Nela and her roommates would virtually make them immortal. "

"And what did Chief-Commissioner Karabo say?" Mary asked as she looked at the joined hands in her lap.

"She said she suspected that Nela's body had been deposited near the bench by her murderer, but since she was aware that the spell should have protected her against any attack she didn't know what to believe. And with the war against the Chaos Gods being the WC's priority right now and her being forced to redeploy her troops to replace the SDD troopers who are going to Japan there wasn't much she could do about the matter for the moment."

Mary chuckled at the humorous abbreviation and looked her friend in the eyes again.

"There are people who believe the Chaos Gods were the ones who murdered our friends," She said. "But I am afraid the real killer is still out there, and one day we will have to face her again."

"Yeah," Wangari sighed as she sat back in the lime-green sofa. "As if the magical community isn't in enough trouble."

Mary looked at the pictures of Akko and Diana's families on the dark cyan wall opposite her.  
Next to them hung pictures of William and Rachel Twycross, his brother, her mother, brother and sister, and their real daughter, all of which received a monthly sum from the fund their fake daughter had set up with the money she had won in the lottery back when her mother sent her back to 2017 for pretending to be her family.

The blue-haired witch smiled, thinking of the journey her real mother was making at that moment and wished her luck for the battle she was going to fight.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Akko," An obnoxiously smug voice came from the direction of the bookcases.

Mary and Wangari looked to the left and saw Banagher trot lazily into the luxurious study they were sitting in.

"Diana will no doubt keep a watchful eye over her friend," The creature spoke as he stood before them and rhythmically wagged its tail left and right. "She has expressed her own concern over Akko's state of mind and will be more than capable of protecting her with the power she gained from the Cavendish Dynasty alignment ritual."

Mary wondered why he had been so confident lately. She couldn't figure out what he was up to.

"That's right!" Wangari smiled as she unconsciously drummed the melody of the light cavalry overture against the side of her leg. "Thanks to you Diana finally became head of the house of Cavendish and gained heaps of magical power."

"Provided she performs the ritual to align the spiritual energy of her ancestors with her own," The unicorn suavely spoke. "And she can only maintain her empowered state for a certain amount of time."

"Well, however way you turn it that's still pretty amazing," Wangari said as she rested her joined hands against the back of her head. "How did you know of this technique?"

"As the familiar of Beatrix Cavendish, I am of course in the possession of the vast knowledge the nine old witches collected during their travels after the foundation of Luna Nova," Banagher boastfully declared.

"In other words, you were a suspicious little spy," Mary laughed.

Banagher just curled his upper lip in amusement.

"I must admit I made it my business to learn as much as possible from dear old Beatrix," He smiled. "And the spiritual energy alignment ritual she developed after arduous study and meditation in the hopes of empowering her descendants for future conflicts with the Chaos Gods was too ingenious not to make my own."

Mary glared at the creature, increasingly worried at its apparent earnestness.

"By coincidence, my good mistress Beatrix forgot all about the ritual just before she was about to write it down in her Amtide," Banagher revealed.

"And how do you suspect that happened?" Mary asked the elated creature while her orange-haired visitor sat forward and regarded both with a curious look.

"Well, Mary Twycross, if that is your real name, at that time the magical world was fighting a fierce war with the Chaos Gods which Oku had started around the year 370. The Chaos Gods were being pushed in the defensive after their rampage during the 450's and as they always do in those kinds of situations they try to gain strength by harvesting each other's energy."

Mary stiffened in horror as she started to realize that she had overlooked a terrible possibility.

"A side-effect of those kinds of situations is that whenever one of them defeats another…" Banagher spoke quietly as he stared triumphantly into the eyes of his nemesis. "...The remaining two other than the victor also gain powers and abilities they did not formerly possess."

"Wangari… " The blue-haired witch muttered.

"After so many centuries upon centuries of fruitless pursuit, how divine it feels to finally be able to utter the words: I won."

Wangari looked frightfully from Mary to the bone-white unicorn who began to fade away into thin air.

"Goodbye Mary," The creature said at last in its smug voice.

"Wangari!" The witch with the red sash through her hair agitatedly spoke as she jumped up from her seat. "I have to find him! I have to find him! I'm so stupid, I didn't realize! He can clone himself!"

"What happened?!" Wangari asked frantically as her friend opened the door and paused in the doorway. "What did he mean by what he said in the end?"

"I don't know," Mary lied with eyes that would haunt Wangari's memory later. "But I have to find him. It's my responsibility."

The Kenyan watched her otherwise so collected friend run into the hallway, hoping that she would succeed.

Nevertheless, after the reaction she had observed in Mary when they talked about Nela's death Wangari feared that she might have discovered the person Karabo Mahlangu wanted her to flush out.

* * *

 **Two and a half hours ago. Luna Nova, Wales.**

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **I tiredly watch the purple dye from my hair wash away in the white bathroom sink as I turn off and retract the pull-out faucet.**

 **Filiz told me that in my current state of mind it was important for me to stay in our room for our trap to work, but I said I would be back in an hour. I had to get away from her if just for an hour.**

 **On impulse, I decided to change my hair color back and locked myself in one of the public bathrooms after preparing a hair-dye removing potion I remembered from an old Gaelic book.  
** **The potion worked like a charm. Er…**

 **In any case, my hair is back to its original silver color after I dry it with my towel and give it a careful combing.**

 **As I place my yellow-tinted unilens sunglasses on my nose again I smile timidly at my reflection in the mirror against the backdrop of the white-tiled open shower behind me.**

 **My Niggaz in Paris ringtone alerts me to a call from my parents so I eagerly reach for my vest and bring my cellphone to my ear. I suddenly yearn to hear them after all that happened in these past days.**

 **"Hello, Papa?" I greet.**

 **"Hello, my little Isabelle," My father greets me in a warm voice. I immediately hear there's something different about him.** **"How are you, my girl?"**

 **I heave a quiet sigh. I don't want to worry him, but I feel so desperate to talk.**

 **"I'm feeling a little down, to be honest," I say. "A lot of frightening stuff happened over the weekend."**

 **"Oh?" Papa utters in a concerned voice. I hear mama ask what happened.**

 **"Friday morning Luna Nova was attacked by two of those Chaos Gods," I say.**

 **"Oh my God! Are you alright, Chou-chou?!" Mama calls out as my father shares his cellphone with her.**

 **"Yes. I didn't get hurt. The nine new witches chased them off, but a lot of SDD troopers were killed before that happened. None of the students or the staff got hurt… Well, not at that time."**

 **"Isabelle… If you feel unsafe at Luna Nova you can come home until those horrible creatures are hopefully dealt with," My father says. "I'm sure Luna Nova will allow you to study from home for a while under the circumstances."**

 **The thought of going home pulls at my heart, but I know Filiz won't let me go. I am her slave and a soldier of the Fufian Emperium. There is no way she will let me go.**

 **"Thank you," I smile. "But I feel safe enough over here. The Chaos Gods won't come over here at the moment."**

 **"We heard," Mama says. "I heard they merged and are threatening Japan."**

 **"So it seems, yes. Admiral Munoz has been going around magic schools to draft the third year and second-year students most adept in offensive magic. They are departing for Japan around this time. The nine new witches are going with them."**

 **"Well," Papa starts. "I can understand that you would feel anxious with all of these terrible things happening around you. The world is in a fine mess, with these epidemics and famines and Chaos Gods. But my sweet Isabelle…" He says in a gentle voice. "I promise you that things will get better. As your mother told me: The SDD will be sure to defeat those monsters. And as I understand, the nine new witches are a force to be reckoned with. So things are sure to turn out right."**

 **"Yes. I know… Thank you, papa," I smile.**

 **I almost shy away from telling them about Nela. I don't know whether I will be able to keep my composure, and I don't want to break down over the phone. But mama is too observant.**

 **"What was that you said about students getting hurt?"**

 **I swallow and try to keep my voice level.**

 **"Yesterday… My roommate Nela had an accident while practicing flight on her own…. It seems like she fell down and broke her neck on the backrest of a bench. She died before anybody found her."**

 **"Oh my… " Mama breathed. "Poor girl. The two of you have become closer lately, haven't you, my Chou-chou? I'm so sorry for you, and for Nela's family. those poor people."**

 **"Isabelle…" Papa spoke. "You have been going through a lot all of a sudden. We had no idea. I would really like you to come home if just for a week. Your mother will talk to Headmistress Holbrooke right away."**

 **When did my father start to sound so confident?**

 **"Thank you, papa, but I really am alright," I lie as best as I can. "I am sad about Nela of course. But I still have Filiz who was much closer to Nela…"**

 **I nearly throw up.**

 **"She was closer to her than I was, so I can't leave her alone here. And we have Mary who worries about us and comes to see us often. And I have Sophia, Abigail, Uaterereta, and my other friends. I'll come over for the weekend next month. But I'm fine for now."**

 **"Well…" Papa says. "If you say so, my girl. But I want you to know that you are always welcome if you want to come over and stay here for as long as you want on a whim."**

 **"Akira is right," Mama agrees. "I want you to know that you don't have to stay strong for our sake. We can always work something out with Luna Nova."**

 **"Thank you, mama," I smile as a single tear runs down my right cheek. "The two of you sound so happy and harmonious. Tunisia must have been wonderful."**

 **I hear a short awkward silence on the other side of the line.**

 **"You know, my little Chou-chou," Mama says in a voice suddenly heavy with emotion. "Something really wonderful did happen in Tunis… while we were there we were offered a new tea that's not on the market yet in Europe. When it's available you have to try that tea, Isabelle… It is called Perfect Fusion… It is really good… But… But, anyway… "**

 **I hold my cellphone in my other hand and wipe my eye as I realize what happened and why my parents sound so different from usual.  
** **They are only as far away from me as they have been since I came to Luna Nova, but it feels like we are now worlds apart.**

 **"One evening your father and me started to talk very openly and I…"**

 **"It's okay if you want me to tell her, Dorothée," I hear my father gently interrupt.**

 **"No. It's my responsibility," Mama whispers.**

 **"Isabelle?"**

 **"Yes, mama?"**

 **"I'm so sorry, my little Chou-chou, that you had to see how I treated your father for all those years…" She breaks down. "I'm sorry… Isabelle. I'm sorry for weeping with all you are going through right now, but your father and I are really happy now. I'm so sorry my sweet little Isabelle, I love your father and you so much… I...** **I was so angry and frustrated… I'm so sorry."**

 **"It's alright, mama," I force my tears back. "I'm so glad the two of you finally talked things through. I know you are sorry for what you did. I… But that's all in the past and what's important is that you both trust and love each other now."**

 **"Thank you, sweet Isabelle," My father says as he and mama kiss and probably hug. "But Dorothée wasn't the only one at fault. I should have protected you from seeing what you saw…"**

 **"No, papa!" I gently reprimand. "I was at fault too. I used to make fun of you too. I should…  
We were all at fault. That's what being a dysfunctional family is all about, isn't it?" I smile.**

 **"I can't be completely blameless just because I was a child. People get caught up in bullying without thinking about what they are doing. It's really easy to get caught up in it and even to think that your victim deserves your treatment of them… But people need to realize that hurting someone else is always wrong."**

 **"That's… That's very insightful," My father mutters in an awed voice.**

 **At that moment I notice the time on the clock above the mirror and remember Filiz wants me back in time.**

 **"I'm sorry, papa, mama, but I have to get back to my room. I've left Filiz alone for a while now."**

 **"That's alright, Chou-chou. We understand," Mama says in a cheerful voice. She sounds so happy.**

 **"Remember that you are welcome here at any time and that we are very happy and love you so much."**

 **"And remember that we are proud of the kind of person you have become," My father says.**

 **"Thank you both," I say. "I'll see you soon. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."**

 **"Alright, dear girl," Mama says. "We'll see you soon. Take care of yourself. We love you."**

 **"Goodbye," I mutter as I disconnect.**

 **I watch my twitching grimace in the mirror and fall on the floor as my knees give way underneath me.**

 **Tears stream down my cheeks as I hold on to the bathroom sink with my right hand and hang my left hand which is clutching my cellphone over the edge.**

 **"I don't deserve this… I can't deserve this…" I mutter as I weep overcome with gratitude at how becoming Fufian blessed my parents.**

 **"I'm so sorry… Nancy… Veronique… Lionel…"** **I sob freely as I hang my head.**

 **"I'm so sorry for the pain I caused you and your family and friends… Veronique… Nancy… I'm so sorry…"**

 **Tears roll down my face and rain onto the floor and onto my knees like a torrent of repentance.  
** **In spite of my "curfew", I sit on the bathroom floor and sob for five whole minutes.**

 **When I enter our room later and Filiz sees my red eyes she says nothing and leaves me to sit on my bed with a book in peace.**

* * *

Banagher had a short moment of surprise as the moment he appeared in his target's dorm room the very person the girl's wish was related to sat leisurely smiling in her wooden desk chair as if she had been waiting for him.

On the bottom bunk bed to the right of the clearly pleased blackette sat the girl he had wanted to manipulate, placing the book she had been reading on her head pillow as she became aware of his presence.

"My my, dear Isabelle. What a pleasant surprise! After all of our lamentation about constantly being denied to see the illustrious Banagher, by chance…" Filiz giggled at the last word. "... We are graced with a visit from this divine creature."

"I believe the pleasure is mine," The disappointed unicorn bowed its head.

"Oh? But, though you may not believe so for the moment, it certainly is, yeah…" Filiz assured him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I have been wondering," The witch with the black ponytail muttered as she fondled the coin with the double-headed eagle hanging from her left ear. "As a magical creature, what kind of powers do you have? Can you, for example, apply metamorphosis to yourself? Can you become a cat?"

"Metamorphosis magic is indeed a rarely used power of mine," Banagher said in his smug voice as he became a bone-white cat that jumped into Filiz's lap.

"Remarkable!" The girl exclaimed as she petted his head and scrutinized his features and magical power. "A real cat. Down to the DNA."

"Naturally," Banagher spoke. "There is no point in doing anything if you don't aim for excellence."

"Agreed… But I was thinking… Haven't you been petted by many hands here at Luna Nova?  
I see you going into dorm room after dorm room asking witches what it is they desire most. Are you really a familiar, Banagher? Because going around asking other witches to make wishes, that's pretty strange behavior for a familiar. Don't you think so, Isabelle?" Filiz laughed heartily while fondling the ear of her intrigued visitor.

"It's downright suspicious," Isabelle glared at the bone-white cat.

"How strange that you would know about all that," Banagher calmly replied. "I make sure to erase the memories of every girl I visit."

"Haven't had much luck with your search?" Filiz grinned. "I know there are lots of girls here with strong desires, but all of them want to reach those goals on their own power. Isn't that right?"

"How very disappointing," Her visitor responded.

"Oh... I know, yeah. These witches are all so righteous. Even the ones who used to act unpleasant to novice witches like me aren't that bad really.  
But there are exceptions," Filiz smiled.

"I actually came here to fulfill your friend's wish. I know she has one," Banagher's clone said.

"I'm not talking about her."

Filiz grabbed the cat by the neck and lifted it up, grinning at it with gleeful eyes.

"I have a very ardent desire. Stronger than Isabelle's desire to be rid of me. Stronger than Sola's desire to become more successful and confident. Stronger than poor tormented Akko's desire I wager."

The cat looked her in the eyes and it's pupils widened in shock.

"You do! To think I have been unable to perceive this wish in you! You are a great dissembler, young woman."

"Why thank you," The Japanese witch said in a cold voice. "Not that I am proud of the fact.  
I hide my true nature from the world because I have to, but be assured that I loath not being powerful enough to openly challenge anyone I like for a battle to the death.  
I have done lots of research and experiments lately in order to cloak my true intentions for a very specific goal, and I recently found a way to achieve what I want, but it would take great investment and time. That's why you are quite a Godsend, my dear Ehichapu."

"What?!" Isabelle frightfully exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat.

"How do you like my dear Isabelle's hair color?" Filiz smiled unbothered by the outburst. "It seems she finally entered her rebellious faze. I am quite excited, to be honest."

Ehichapu looked up at the trembling French witch with the silver bob and the yellow-tinted sunglasses and narrowed his eyes.

"She looks lovely," He spoke.

"What are you doing, Filiz? This is a Chaos God! You said we would capture him and alert Headmistress Holbrooke!"

"Hahaha!" Isabelle's roommate laughed. "And you believed me? I have my own plans with our illustrious visitor, Isabelle, and I think you know it would be best for you and your loved ones if you did not interfere with them."

"What are you thinking?! This is the Chaos God who aims to kill us all! He…!"

"Ehichapu, kindly become an orange and lodge yourself in the mouth of this loud girl," Filiz sighed.

As the creature obliged his host Isabelle grabbed at her throat and lips in a panic as she choked, kneeling onto the floor while she attempted to keep from vomiting.

"Isn't it amazing, dear Isabelle? His power surpasses even that of four exceptional Fufian witches!  
But I have been wondering… Why is it that you desire extinction, dear Ehichapu?"

"I look down on existence from a much higher perspective than you do," The creature spoke after it changed back into a cat and sat up before its host, leaving Isabelle, who was lying on the floor, to gasp for air with streaming eyes.

"I see existence for what it is: A blemish of the Allform.  
Have you ever thought about the true nature of the world around you and indeed the world within you…?  
Vile dirty forms that crawl around and inside one another, tearing at each other and forming their victims into stinking putrid excrements until they themselves are digested into a slimy substance that is an insult to the universe itself!  
And the only way these beings see to rise above themselves is to exchange the slimy excrements of their bodies and shape them into a new creature that stinks and crawls and tears!

The folly of my brethren to prey upon this disgusting puss! That is why it is my divine destiny and burden to destroy existence and make the Allform pure again! "

"I see…" Filiz stated as she observed her agitated guest. "Then I have a business proposal for you."

"Your desire is certainly ardent," Ehichapu grinned. "It will provide me more than sufficient power to achieve my glorious goal.  
But why would you ask me to fulfill your wish if you know who I am?"

"Ah. That's the catch," Filiz smiled as she sat back in her chair. "You see: I am a witch too. And as such I do share that righteous desire to obtain my goal through my own efforts. Therefore I need time. If I allow you to roam free or if I alert the other witches to you I would lose valuable time searching for another means to adequately mask my emotions. So I wish to employ a measure to annul the threat you pose and use you to my advantage at the same time

I will ask you to grant me a smaller wish. A wish worthless to fulfilling your goal with the amount of desire by which it is fueled. Rather than a deceptive deal with the Devil by which we both gain instant gratification, I will make a contract with you: If you fulfill my tiny wish, I will bind myself to fulfill your goal by my own efforts."

"Clever indeed," Ehichapu frowned as he looked up into Filiz's eyes.

"A deal with a witch who does not enjoy lying," Filiz smiled.

"Still... Why?" The cat insisted.

"Because any creature that cannot pose a threat to me is of no consequence to me. My goal is such that when I obtain it no life on this planet will matter to me anymore. So if I can fulfill my greatest desire, I will have no reason not to fulfill yours during my quest for new challenges."

"Alright then," The bone-white cat before her returned Filiz's grin. "What is it you wish for?"

"Become the Silence Bell for me so that I can swallow you and mask my every thought and feeling at will."

"The Silence Bell?" Ehichapu frowned.

The creature got on all four of its paws and walked around.

"The Silence Bell is the mother root of every mandrake in existence. If any ordinary human or witch swallowed it their mind would be warped into oblivion. You would be lucky to die."

"Well, I am not an ordinary witch," Filiz smirked. "So you needn't worry."

Ehichapu watched Filiz with a frown while Isabelle crawled back onto her feet.

"You are not only asking me to trust your intent and ability to destroy reality on your own but you want me to risk spoiling this unique change through the possible damage to your mind," The creature complained. "I'm not thrilled about this."

"As I said: I will be fine," Filiz calmly assured the Chaos God. "My mind is more than capable of handling this much. Besides… It's not like you are having much luck finding other witches to exploit, and we seem to share a playmate who is very persistently pursuing you. I feel rather scorned by her neglect of me in your favor to be honest."

Ehichapu glared at the blackette.

"Are you perhaps turned off by the idea of being inside of me, my dear Ehichapu?" She giggled. "I must say I was rather flattering you by calling you a threat earlier… because really, nobody would get hurt if I told you that I changed my mind and did nothing to stop your continued fruitless quest, yeah.  
How many thousands of years have you been looking for a witch like myself?"

"Alright!" Ehichapu frustratedly exclaimed. "You are a clever girl, let's see if you are clever enough to reach our goals. If you perish in the attempt I will just start over and continue my search."

With a faint glimmer, the Chaos God absorbed its clones into itself again.

"Prepare to receive what you wished for and may you handle it well," Ehichapu grinned devilishly.

Instantly Isabelle and Filiz saw the bone-white cat transform in a root the size of a plum. The curious double root was twisted into a shape vaguely resembling a church bell.

Isabelle quickly tried to teleport it away, but Filiz annulled her spell.

"Don't be foolish," The Japanese witch warned her roommate with a cold look.

"What you see here is more than a desperate creature," Filiz said as she got up from her seat and kneeled before the Silence Bell. "It is the key to the pursuit of not just my own dreams and you will not hinder it."

The blackette took the Silence Bell in her hand and stood straight up, holding it above her face in her right hand.

"This, my dear Isabelle, is the way to be more strong."

Frozen in fear and helplessness Isabelle watched the person who was the hopes and dreams of so many of her classmates insert the brown root into her mouth and swallow it like a snake.

Filiz visibly strained herself to force the Silence Bell down her throat, but as she finally ingested the massively powerful magical artifact the girl exhaled and her uplifted reddened face looked like the epitome of delight.

For a moment it seemed to Isabelle as if the air around her roommate's body reverberated.

"Well..." Filiz said as she turned towards the French witch with a diabolical smirk. "Did I not promise that we would deal with Ehichapu?

The increase in my magical power is minimal," The ponytailed witch smiled as she stretched her arms above her head. "But that was not my goal after all."

All Isabelle could think of was that her mass-murdering roommate was now in league with the mortal enemy of mankind. And she had tricked him into giving her what she wanted on her terms.

Her terror didn't subside when she heard a knock on the door.

Filiz casually walked over and opened the door to their visitor.

"Oh! Hello Filiz," Mary greeted as she appeared before her Japanese friend in a rather excited state. "I have a bit of a problem."

"Oh!" The blackette repeated kindly. "Well, I would be glad to help if I can."

"I sure hope so," Mary grimaced. "You see, Banagher suddenly disappeared from our room and I have no idea where he could be. Have either of you seen him?"

"Ah… I'm afraid that I can't help you with that one, yeah," Filiz grimaced. "Do you know something about Banagher, Isabelle?"

The pale-faced French witch saw her roommate turn and look at her with a smile more terrifying than death. She slowly turned her eyes on Mary and opened her mouth like a fish.

"N... No…"

Turning back to her guest Filiz didn't notice her roommate fearfully half-lift her hand and point at her, but she did notice something else.

"Ah…! Such bad luck," Mary whined. "I better continue my search then. I'm sorry I can't stay, Filiz, but you understand how important this is. I'll see you later."

With a wave the Brit walked off, leaving Filiz standing in shock at the way the kind and generous second-year student who had so casually befriended her had fooled her up to then.

What Filiz had seen was only a minute dilation of the pupils, but it was enough to send a shiver down her heart and make her realize that everything she thought she knew about Mary was wrong.  
Because for a minuscule second that girl had glared at her with a look of furious hatred.

A look that made the blackette finally connect the dots and realize what had been staring her in the face all this time.

"There is one type of person, my dear Isabelle, that is probably even more annoying to me than a bully," Filiz slowly declared to her trembling roommate as she closed the door with a dark look.

"A Prince always holds back, yeah."

 **Isabelle's voice:  
** **"I am sorry papa. I already became a monster.  
I have terrorized a lot of people. I have caused a lot of pain. I have made many mistakes. But no mistake so great as the one I made when I trusted that the wanton cruelty of the person who inspired me into penitence would stop at murder.**

 **There is a greater monster than anything you can imagine, papa, and I am afraid to fight it. So I pray for a knight to come along who is strong enough to defeat the monster.  
** **And if there is a knight out there who is brave enough to fight the monster I would be sure to help them. Because they will need all the help they can get."**

* * *

End credits: Kalafina - Ashita no Keshiki

Lyrics: /lyrics/ashita-no-keshiki/

watch?v=uVjP0ipkqQ4


End file.
